“This ain’t going away”: Phil Neville reflects on England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 title 

The team he managed for three years before coming to MLS ahead of the 2021 season had just reached a historic moment, as the Lionesses brought England their first major trophy in 56 years in men’s or women’s soccer.

The paradigm-changing result came before 87,192 fans at Wembley Stadium, a record attendance figure for a men’s or women’s Euro final. Per the BBC, a peak audience of 17.4 million was measured alongside 5.9 million streams – the United Kingdom-based network’s most-watched program this year.

“That’s changed women’s sport, never mind women’s soccer,” Neville said Monday. “There’s only one word, just immense pride. I watched the game with David [Beckham] and we jumped up, we celebrated and we felt just an immense pride watching it. I did feel emotionally attached because I always say, ‘These are my girls. These are the girls that inspired me and made me a better manager.’”