ELLA TOONE: Why I go to counselling - and how I'm giving back

Ella Toone looks slightly different to how fans usually see her when she sits down to speak with Mail Sport.

Hair in pin curls, a full face of makeup on and dressed in a burgundy suit, I meet her in a hotel room at fancy Covent Garden hotel the Nomad, where she’s shooting content for global makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury.

The 25-year-old from Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, has established herself as one of the biggest names in women’s football.

She was a key figure in England's historic Euro 2022 victory, coming off the bench to score in both the quarter-final against Spain and in the final against Germany at Wembley.

In August 2023, Toone scored her first World Cup goal against Australia in the semi-final, becoming the first England footballer, male or female, to score in a quarter-final, semi-final and final of a major tournament.

What followed was a huge social media presence, a YouTube channel, a podcast, a book and contracts with global brands.

‘There’s isn’t that pressure on me being a role model because I am just myself as a person and I will never change,’ she tells me. ‘It was a shock after winning the Euros, more people recognising me and not being able to walk down the street without people asking for a photo.

‘That was difficult at first because before that, no one knew very much about women’s football. It’s been a change, but one that we wanted.’

On Tuesday, Toone was named in the squad hoping to defend their Euros title, in Switzerland in July.

And having graduated from substitute to fully fledged starter in Sarina Wiegman's team, Toone is confident England can win it all again.

‘There’s a lot of talent there and we’ve been to a Euros and a World Cup now and we want to make sure we go there and do the same thing we did last time,’ said Toone, who has 19 England goals in 57 caps.

‘The main thing for us was to make the nation proud and inspire the next generation coming through and to go on to the pitch and give it absolutely everything we’ve got. This time will be more difficult than the last, everyone wants to beat us but that’s what it’s about and we love those big games.’

Toone has 753,000 Instagram followers as well as 75,000 subscribers on YouTube and 10.3million likes on TikTok.

She tells me she made the decision to be more open about her life to inspire the next generation and to give people an insight into her personality. But with the whole world watching her every move, she says she has turned to counseling for help to switch off from playing and that she’s ‘not a robot’.

‘I have found switching off the most difficult thing about my career,’ she said. ‘I am obsessed with football and it’s all I think about most of the time. I have learned that you have to switch off away from the game to make sure you can give 100 per cent when you’re on the pitch.

‘I speak to a counsellor which really helps me, getting everything out on the table to someone who’s not involved. And that’s helped me massively.

‘On the other side, I of course love a bit of retail therapy and going shopping, eating good food and just being with my family and friends.

‘With my social media and YouTube, the main thing was to give people a little insight into me away from the pitch to help them to interact with me.

‘It’s hard to go and see everyone and meet people and spend time with fans, it’s not so sustainable now the game has grown.

‘I think I am relatable as a person and that’s what people like so it’s nice to get my personality out there. I’m not just a robot, I am a human.’

A product of the United Youth Academy, Toone was forced to leave the club in 2013 when United's owners the Glazer family disbanded the women's team.

She instead broke through with Blackburn and then crossed Manchester to sign for City in 2016. But she returned to the red side of the city the moment she heard United had gained entry into the newly formed Women's Championship in 2018.

A passionate United fan who grew up idolising Cristiano Ronaldo, she was handed the famous No 7 shirt worn by the legend himself as well as David Beckham and Eric Cantona. It's now the most sold women’s shirt in the United store.

She launched her own brand, named ET7, which saw her become the first Lioness to trademark her name as well as open her own academy. The academy has been a huge hit with local talent.

Ella’s boyfriend Joe Bunney is also a footballer, with Stalybridge Celtic in the Northern Premier League. She credits him for helping her set up her academy.

She said: ‘I look back to my grassroots and where I started and my mum still always says to me, “Make sure you never be rude, always stay humble”, and I have always had that driven into me.

‘So when we won the Euros and my profile got bigger, I wanted to do something to help that next generation and my community.

'I started the academy and it’s been a dream. The people around me got it going, I couldn’t have done it without my boyfriend Joe, he started everything from scratch.

‘He coaches there and does absolutely everything. The girls all love him. And I’ve got another coach there who used to coach me when I was at United’s academy, so to have him there, to help these girls and their journeys is special.

‘I just wanted it to be a place for girls to come and enjoy the game and catch a few of the ones who might have fallen through the net. The talent that we have there is amazing, I go and watch and I think wow, these are much more talented than I ever was at that age.

‘I just want someone to make it where they want to in football and for me to play a small part in that, it will be amazing.’

While she's dressed up and with her hair and makeup done, I ask Ella if she enjoys the glamour that now comes with the job. She has worked with global makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury since 2023 and has signed other partnerships with Nike, Wow Hydrate and Access Sport.

‘Every day I go to training in a tracksuit and a kit with no makeup on and my hair tied up,’ she said. ‘And I’m dirty and sweating. To come and get glammed up is great and I really enjoy it.

‘I love doing it all, the schedule is busier which has made it harder, and of course my main focus is being a footballer at the end of the day, being able to perform consistently, but this stuff away from the pitch I really enjoy doing.

‘When I was growing up, the female game wasn’t as seen or heard and now to be in the position that I am and have opportunities, to work with brands and go on red carpets, it’s something I never thought would happen.

‘I just wanted to play football. And being a footballer doesn’t last forever and I am just embracing all of these opportunities. The main thing, though, is that I keep performing on the pitch.’