How to watch UEFA Women's Euro 2022 championship in Sheffield as striker urges fans to back Lionesses

Early bird bookings are now on sale for the UEFA Women’s Euro, which is set to return in July 2022.

The tickets were announced on Tuesday as the nation threw its support behind the men’s team whose bid for glory fell just short with the excruciating final at Wembley over the weekend.

Now, Sheffield United Women’s striker Courtney Sweetman-Kirk says this is the year to get behind England’s women after the men’s tournament helped blow away supporters’ lockdown blues from the challenges of the past 18 months.

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Courtney said: “The women’s game has seen such a rise in popularity over recent years and to have a home major tournament is brilliant.

"We’ve seen the how England’s teams can inspire a nation and bring people together and next year with the Lionesses should be no different.”

England will host the Women’s Euros between July 6 and July 31, 2022.

The tournament will include four matches played in Sheffield on July 9, 13, 17, and 26.

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It is speculated that hosting both the Euros and the Women’s Euros are a precursor to England making a bid for a 2030 men’s World Cup bid.

A record 47 nations are looking to qualify for the women’s tournament but only 15 will join England in the finals.

Sweetman-Kirk represented England’s national U-23 team in 2013 when she scored five goals. She is consistently one of the top scorers in the league and took a 12-minute hat-trick against Middlesbrough in the Vitality Women's FA Cup encounter.