Nikita Parris 'hates' stretching so she has surprised herself by finding joy in yoga and the Manchester United winger is now hoping the benefits will lead to an England recall.
The 29-year-old scored eight goals in seven games in October and November and tells Telegraph Sport exclusively that practicing yoga has given her a new lease of life on the pitch.
"I always knew I had this form, but I came to a new club with a different way of playing and I had to get used to them and they to me," said Parris, who signed for Manchester United from Arsenal. in August 2022. "I now have balance in my life. When you're younger, you're always hungry and you really forget about the other side: spending time with family and friends and trying new things. For me it was trying yoga. It has been extremely important.
"I started it when I was told I wasn't going to the World Cup. At Manchester United we now have a new yoga teacher who is brilliant and helps me focus on the things I can control. If anyone knows me, I hate stretching, I always said it was pointless. But for me, yoga isn't just about stretching, it's about clearing my mind.
"It's about eliminating all the things I think about too much and the things I had no control over. This mindfulness really allows me to let go of things that I have no control over. I couldn't do that if I had so much in my head of what I wanted to say or do. It would all be a bit too much."
A month after joining Manchester United, Parris scored in Austria to record a 2-0 win that secured England's place at the 2023 World Cup, but she was quickly left out of Sarina Wiegman's plans for the squad that flew to Australia. Now she hopes her club form can lead to her representing the Lionesses again.
"I'm not just fighting for a place at Manchester United, I'm fighting for a place to return to the England team," she added. "For me that is still on the agenda. I'm not going to give up.
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"I have confidence in myself, I have confidence in my abilities. "Obviously there's a lot of good talent in the England squad now, a lot of depth, and that's who you're competing with and I'm happy to be competing."
'It was difficult not to be selected for the World Cup'
Parris helped United reach the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley last season and finish second in the Women's Super League, but that wasn't enough for a place in the World Cup squad, which she said was "very difficult" last summer. made.
"For me it was so difficult, from November onwards [2022] camp only to not be picked for one of the camps leading up to the World Cup," she says. "I felt like my performance was very good, so for me it was tough, but sometimes these moments happen and it has to be about 'what can I do to bounce back, to get better?' and 'what can I do to make it harder not to pick me?', and that's what I've been focusing on all summer."
Parris helped England win the 2022 European Championship and was a regular starter in the Lionesses side that reached the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup. That year she was widely regarded as one of the very best players in the WSL - she was voted the Football Writers' Association Women's Footballer of the Year - but she feels she has matured since then.
"I am a more experienced player. I understand what my strengths and weaknesses are, and what positions I want to find myself in more often than not so I can make the most of my talent," says Parris. "That's what I've been able to develop here at Manchester United: getting into positions where I can be most effective."
Parris attributes this largely to the influence of Marc Skinner, her head coach at Manchester United. She says about working under him: "I found it very liberating. He is not so stiff in the pattern of play and the wingers are so wide. He always talks about me getting on the ball as an individual and showing my talents, while being ruthless in both areas. He really challenged me.
"Obviously there have been times when he hasn't played me and I've had to really fight and understand what he wants, and whether I liked it or not, it helped me. It has improved my mentality. When things don't go well, sometimes you can just throw in the towel, give up or blame the other person, and not really look at what you can do as an individual, and I've found the ability to bounce back or say ' What can I do to improve?', and during training, go for it every day and stay focused."
'Being ringside at my sister's fights is amazing'
That focus on training continues for Parris during the current winter break, as she has decided to work with a running coach and a technical coach while at home in Liverpool. Of course, she also spends time with family, including her sister - and two-time world champion boxer - Natasha Jonas. Parris sometimes finds it difficult to watch Jonas' battles up close, but cannot contain her pride when speaking about her successes.
"I go and watch her fights ringside when we don't have matches or training at the weekend and she's done so well the last two years, two-time world champion. Being ringside is absolutely amazing, but also nerve-wracking," says Parris. 'You see everything, the spit coming out of the mouth, the blood. You start to see the dangers of the sport instead of the excitement of it. Sometimes it's exciting and fun, but sometimes during the big fights you look through your fingers and not through anything else!"
Jonas will defend her IBF world title against American Mikaela Mayer in Liverpool on January 20, but Parris will have to be content with watching from afar as she prepares to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with Manchester United in a heavyweight WSL match the next day.
