For Nikita Parris the past two years have been all about gaining control. Quite apart from learning when to slow down and when to speed up, she has become much more adept at judging the right moments to act on immediate instinct and recognising the situations where it is better to pause and think things through.
“I think I’ve matured,” says the England and Manchester City forward. “On an odd occasion you’ll still find me shouting at referees when I’ve become increasingly frustrated but I’ve tried to control my temper.”
As she sits and chats at St George’s Park before flying to Moscow with Phil Neville’s squad for Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Russia, Parris explains that her new measured approach is not merely confined to moderating a reputation for screaming at match officials.
“I’ve grown not just as a player but as a person,” says the 24-year‑old Toxteth-born half-sister of the boxer Natasha Jonas. “But my passion will always remain. It’s there because I love football and I love fighting for my club and my country. Every time I step on the pitch I think about winning and putting on a performance that ensures my team comes out on top.”
Eight goals in 22 internationals during the 24 months since her England debut against Serbia suggest Parris’s capacity to learn quickly is as sharp as her warm Merseyside wit. “International football’s a much quicker environment,” she says. “You have to move the ball quicker and make decisions quicker. I’ve stretched myself and I make decisions very quickly now. You can’t overthink when chances come, you’ve got to take them.
“But I’ve also got more maturity, more composure in the final third. I’m calmer in front of goal. When I was younger, I was so fixed on scoring I’d snatch at chances. I’d forgotten about the process you need to go through before you shoot. Now I know that if you get that process right, scoring’s the easy part.”
It helps that Neville speaks her language. “Phil’s brought a winning mentality with him,” says a player with a personality to match her dynamic change of pace. “His background’s all about winning, look at the trophies he’s collected. That’s what we want to do, too. At the end of your career you want to be able to look into your cupboard and see all the medals you’ve amassed.”
When England beat Russia 6-0 at Tranmere last September Neville’s soon-to-be-sacked predecessor, Mark Sampson, was feeling the strain of Eni Aluko’s well‑documented racism allegations. After Parris scored the opening goal she immediately led her team-mates in a race to the technical area where England’s outgoing manager was hugged in a pointed display of squad unity. Parris makes it plain that she relished being part of the environment created by Sampson – whose unfair dismissal case against the FA should be resolved soon – and is proud of a culture that helped England to reach the Euro 2017 semi‑finals in the Netherlands.
Asked to identify how Neville has changed the collective mentality, her instructive reply brims with subtext. “To be honest with you, we’ve remained the same. Our values, our beliefs and our integrity – which we’ve always had – have been retained. Our culture of togetherness – which we’ve always had – has remained the same.
“What Phil’s doing is making sure that we go one step further; that we go from second place [in the world rankings] to first place, that we make sure we win the World Cup in France in 2019.”
More immediately, England’s men have a World Cup of their own to challenge for and, before departing for her own mission in Moscow, Parris enjoyed sharing St George’s Park with Gareth Southgate’s players. “We were in the gym with them this morning and we’ve had a few conversations,” she says. “It’s been nice to see the men here; we’ve wished them well for Russia.”
With her quick, clever feet, penchant for dribbling at opponents, ability to operate either on the wing or more centrally and, of course, those goals, Parris is hoping for a starting role in Neville’s front three in France next summer. She revels in feeling the heat of competition in an attacking department suddenly feeling slightly overcrowded, as Jodie Taylor, Ellen White, Fran Kirby, Toni Duggan and Parris herself face competition from Beth Mead and Georgia Stanway.
“We’ve got good young strikers knocking at the door now but having competition is essential,” Parris says. “We want to become the best team in the world and then be the best for a long time so we need to be challenged. If you don’t have competition in a squad, you can have complacency – and, if you have complacency, you won’t win.”
Meanwhile, the former England forward Eni Aluko has joined Juventus Women after helping Chelsea to their recent league and cup double. Aluko wrote on Twitter: “Delighted & honoured to join JuventusFCWomen - Italian champions, a club with an overwhelming history, ambition and success. So proud to hold the shirt worn by an endless list of legends. I can’t wait to get started!! ForzaJuve”