Her football journey began when she was about eight years old, inspired by a friend at primary school who was already playing. Danielle says, “My best friend played football, so I ended up playing football. I played for my school and in a boy’s club because there weren’t any girls’ clubs at the time, as not enough of us were playing.”

That early passion eventually led Danielle down the path to Everton Football Club, where things really began to progress. She was invited to England trials at Lilleshall and went on to make history aged just 15, becoming the youngest player to represent England at any level.

She competed at the European Championships in Greece and won a bronze medal.

More recently, Danielle was part of the England squad at the Women’s European Deaf Futsal Championship in Croatia, where the team went unbeaten and won gold. Danielle says, “It was a brilliant experience. The facilities were great and we had a really good group of staff around us who empowered us to play. We just had one focus and that was to win the gold medal. Nothing else mattered.”

When asked about training for such a competition whilst working full-time as a paramedic, Danielle says, “It wasn’t easy, particularly trying to balance shifts, training and recovery time. I am lucky to have a really supportive manager who helped a lot with planning shifts. My training schedule included regular futsal sessions, strength and conditioning twice a week when shifts allowed, and weekend camps with the squad.”

A standout moment for Danielle, aside from winning the Euros unbeaten, was reaching her 50th international cap during the tournament, making her the first deaf female footballer to hit that milestone. Her name will now be added to the cap wall at St George’s Park National Football Centre alongside other England internationals. “It’s honestly overwhelming,” she says. “Just playing for England is special, but achieving 50 caps is something else. Not many people achieve that, especially as a deaf female player.”

Danielle says being a Lioness has shaped her in ways she didn’t expect, with similarities between playing futsal and her day job as a senior paramedic. She says, “Whether it’s putting on an England shirt or a paramedic uniform, it feels the same in a way. There’s pressure, responsibility, and you’re representing something bigger than yourself.

“That pressure and responsibility have helped me develop my resilience, composure, and the ability to perform under scrutiny. The skills needed to play competitive sport at this level are just as important in my role as a paramedic, where teamwork, communication, and staying calm under pressure are key.”

“My experience captaining England at major tournaments has also helped me grow as a leader at work, with my progression from paramedic to senior paramedic.”

For pre-match rituals, hype songs and celebrations, Danielle likes to keep things simple, “I stick to having scrambled eggs on toast. Depending on how that game goes, if we lose, I’ll change it and swap to an omelette, then stick with that if we win. I will also have a banana an hour or two before the game.

“My hype song changes, but recently it’s been a remix of That’s The Way It Is by Celine Dion. For my celebrations, it’s just a ‘yes!’ with clenched fists and then probably picking up a teammate and swinging them around.”

The next focus for Danielle and her England team is on the 2029 World Championships. Good luck team!