There are few players at this summer's Women's World Cup who even come close to matching the success and experience of Canada superstar Christie Sinclair.
Sinclair has been playing the beautiful game for more than 20 years, having played her first professional match back in 2001. A star for various clubs and her country, the striker has amassed more than 320 caps and scored 190 international goals at the time of writing. Ahead of the her sixth World Cup, the goal-machine shared the secret of that record-breaking goal-figure with FourFourTwo.
"Touch wood, I’ve been lucky enough to have stayed relatively injury-free throughout my career, which certainly helps," Sinclair tells FFT. "Probably most of all, I just love this game. I still love coming to practice every morning, whether it’s with my club team Portland Thorns or the national team, going through the grind along with all of my team-mates.
"I mean, I kind of had my first chance to properly reflect on everything while writing my book Playing The Long Game, along with Stephen Brunt," she continues. "He was able to ask questions that really got me thinking about moments in the past.
"But overall, I’ll have a far greater appreciation for everything after I hang up my boots. I will say the Olympic gold was so special – just the journey of winning the two bronze medals, which helped to change the culture and popularity of the sport in Canada, then finally winning the gold was… unbelievable! Pre-tournament, we set out with the mission to change the colour of the medal and we managed it. Hearing the Canadian national anthem being played was unforgettable."
Sinclair also shared her ups and downs of growing older in the sport she loves.
"Apart from things hurting a little more post-match, I’ve just become a smarter player, being able to use my experiences to support my team-mates with reading the game and things like that," she says. "On the pitch for both of my teams, I think you would have seen me drop a little lower into the midfield than I played in the past, so I’m able to be involved in the build-up and create opportunities.
"It’s all about putting in the long hours on the training pitch, manipulating the ball in different ways and practising scoring from any point on the field using my head and both feet. The bigger toolbox you have, the better the chance of scoring. Having great team-mates over the years certainly helps!"
More Women's World Cup 2023 stories
England manager Sarina Wiegman implemented some bonding methods for the England team that proved pivotal in the Lionesses' Euro 2022 success.
Georgia Stanway acknowledges that the Lionesses are a different animal compared to last year, suggesting "the dynamic has changed but we’re still an unbelievable squad".
Meanwhile, FFT columnist Jules Breach says that England can still win the World Cup, despite the loss of experience in the side.
We've also compiled everything you need to know ahead of the World Cup in a special tournament hub.
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