THEY might be the fiercest of footballing rivals, but exposure to life in Germany is benefiting England when it comes to tackling major tournaments.

Last year, Jude Bellingham was one of the stars of the England men’s team that made it to the World Cup quarter-finals after developing his skills with Borussia Dortmund. This summer, Georgia Stanway finds herself preparing to marshal England Women’s midfield after a season in which she has been playing her club football with Bayern Munich.

The 24-year-old left Manchester City, where she had been since 2015, to join Bayern last summer before playing a key role in England’s home-soil Euros triumph.

As she now prepares for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Stanway has had a season with her new club which began with some issues, ended with a league title and overall, she says, has enhanced her as a player and person.

“I’ve developed so much on and off the pitch,” said Stanway. “On the pitch I’ve got so much more responsibility. I have a leadership role which I never expected to happen in such a short space of time.

“I’ve been consistent in my performances in the position I’m playing in which I’ve been able to make my own and that only helps me when I come into this environment. Whether it’s technical actions or that I’ve got more control over my game, it helps.

The Northern Echo: Georgia Stanway spent last season playing with Bayern MunichGeorgia Stanway spent last season playing with Bayern Munich (Image: PA)

“In terms of the way I am as a person I’m just so much more open. I went to a country where no one knew who I was and I’d never met anyone I was with before and I could be whoever I wanted to be and no one was going to judge me for that. I think that’s so important in a football environment - to just be you.”

Stanway arrived in Germany four days after the Euros final, was in one apartment for three months, then moved into one of her own that had no kitchen at first – a situation that meant, in a good way, that she “had to ask for help”.

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Socialising with team-mates has been a big aspect of her experience, with her saying: “We do so much outside of football as a team at Bayern and that has made us stronger on the pitch which is really important.”

Stanway says she had a winter break “dip”, adding: “It wasn’t necessarily an emotional time, but it was more just the kind of time where I could have just stayed on the sofa for two weeks.

“I was supposed to meet Keira (Walsh, her England and former City team-mate) in Barcelona for New Year but I didn’t even make it out there for New Year because I was just that tired. I was sleeping long past my alarm until the middle of the afternoon which is something I’ve never done before.

“I was just absolutely shattered. After that two weeks you’re able to go again. But it’s important people do recognise how hard we work.”

Stanway – who sang Sweet Caroline to her team-mates as an initiation song, and then, thanks to an audio delay, “the worst version you’ve ever heard” to a Munich crowd after the title win – says she is “really proud” of how she has performed for Bayern, adding: “To win a trophy in my first year is unbelievable.”

Germany could be World Cup quarter-final opponents for England and Stanway said: “To be fair Sarina (Wiegman, the England manager) probably knows everything already. She probably knows more than me. She’s a genius that way. That could be interesting. I’ll probably have to stay off my phone that week.”