We played out on the street every single day as a family, with neighbours, at the community centres, and I developed the desire to win very early. That environment instilled a competitive edge in me, which has paid dividends in my life.
— Nikita Parris
Football still gives me butterflies; it still makes me smile.
As long as I can keep one child off the streets or change one child's life for the better, then that's enough for me.
The pride you feel when you represent your country, not to mention scoring, is something you can't really explain. It's massive.
Opportunities for young girls, like young boys, to go into academies from a young age does happen now in England, but it doesn't happen globally.
I've always wanted to work with young people from disadvantaged areas.
When you step up and take a penalty, it's 50/50 - but you've got to back yourself.
To be honest, I don't feel pressure. I honestly don't feel pressure.
Nobody's going to give you the World Cup; nobody's going to give you an easy game - not Scotland, not Argentina, not Japan, and not whoever we get going forward.
When I came into football, my whole identity was to be one of the best players in the world, if not the best player, and for me, that is what is driving me each and every day.
The biggest thing I got from my sister's career was never to give up. She had so many ups and downs throughout her career. Injuries and big injuries - ACLs. And she never gave up; she always came back fighting.
There was always sibling rivalry. Tennis, football, boxing, whatever - you always want to come out on top of big sis.
When I step up to that penalty spot, I know the consequences. They're the same whether I miss the first, second, third - or the 10th - it will be the same.
I would say the best trick I've pulled was putting salt instead of sugar in Phil Neville's tea.
I use Palmers Coconut Oil for my skin. My hair routine is thorough: I hot-oil my hair every two Sundays after games, top it up with coconut oil every third day, and deep condition my hair every two days.
Let's build women's football from the bottom before we get to the top; it's not about building from the top to get to the bottom. We can talk about the Etihad and Man United's ground, the Theatre of Dreams, in a few years' time. Let's fill the Academy Stadiums, the Kingsmeadows, first of all.
It was never a case of male and female when I was growing up. I played with my cousins, my friends. From a young age, I played on the local streets, just with my neighbours. The majority would be boys, but a couple would be girls, so I never really thought too hard about it.
From the age of seven, I knew I wanted to play football - I didn't think about it in a professional sense in terms of making money from it; it was more about the social aspect of being with my friends and losing myself in the sport.
Being the best is:applying yourself to your potential, putting out the best version of yourself.
I grew up in an area of inner-city Liverpool. There were plenty of opportunities but also plenty of challenges - you could go down the right or wrong path, depending on one moment.
I would love to have been a tennis player simply because of Serena Williams.
I think about giving back every single day, about the people who put so much effort into supporting my mum and me.
Toxeth made me who I am today - it is a great area.
I'm confident in myself. It's not a case of I've missed a penalty, and I'm down.
I've never really spoken French. I didn't do French lessons at school, so I'm starting from scratch.
I think it's clear to see that Lyon plan to continue to win the Champions League and be the best team in Europe.
Always stay in a happy medium in sport, because you never know what's around the corner.
You have to respect America for respecting the pioneers of the game. That's important. We do that a lot in our game in England. What they've done for women's football across the world is massive.
I was pretty wild as a kid. Football tamed me. It put me on the right path, got me focused.
Our keeper, Karen Bardsley, stakes out any penalty, any free-kick, any corner. KB knows the detail of how the person will take it.
Completing my degree in Sports Development at Liverpool's John Moores University while being full-time at Manchester City is one of my greatest achievements.
Me and fellow scouser Toni Duggan are a double act. We are always pre-planning some sort of practical joke.
As a young kid, you never really understand what it takes to be a footballer: what it's like after you've won or what the changing room is like after a loss, or, as an individual, have you played a good game? Have you played a bad game?
That first game was so hyped up, and it was obviously my first experience of a crowd in a World Cup. When I first walked out and heard the national anthem, it was just an unreal experience. I didn't expect a crowd like that.
The feeling I had at 14, getting selected for Everton's Under-15 side - that excitement, pride, all the emotions - it never goes away. It still happens when I'm waiting for the England squad announcement. I'll get sweaty palms, I'll sit and scroll through my inbox, refreshing it continuously making sure that the email comes through.
You've got to have dedication because there's a lot of sacrifice which goes into it - a lot of your time is minimal with friends and family, especially in the past 10 years.
I still play a bit of tennis, but only a knockabout to help with my recovery after a game.
Once I started playing as a striker, I'd say I looked up to Julie Fleeting and Thierry Henry.
There are prime examples - me, Natasha Jonas, Tony Bellew, Toni Duggan - who have come from areas around Liverpool that haven't been the wealthiest. But we've also been determined to get out and then to give back.
I'm in a position where I can have an effect on young people. If people can take inspiration from me, that's great.
When Olympique Lyon come in for you, it's not a team you turn down.
To me, it's just another game of football - 11 players, a grass pitch. Regardless what shirt I have on, it's important you win the game, and I'm competitive as anyone, and I want to win every game, whether it's a Sunday league game, a five-a-side tournament, or a World Cup qualifier.
I really wanted to put myself out of my comfort zone, and that meant leaving England and really changing culture and different ideas and philosophies in a club environment.
I'm proud to say that my sister was the first female boxer in the Olympics. That's history. She made her mark. And that's what you want to do in any sport.
You've got to be fit to box. In football, if you need a breather, your team-mate can take over. There's no one in the ring to help out.
I'd go with our dad to watch our brothers play Sunday League. When I heard all the shouts, the reaction of the crowd, I wanted it to be about me.
Scoring a goal for England is special. Scoring in a World Cup is even more special.
I recently started my own NP17 Academy within Liverpool Community College, which gives 16-19-year-old girls an opportunity to embark on a sports career, whether it be as a coach, player, physio, or nutritionist.
Our under-19s, under-20s, under-17s teams are all getting into Euro finals, World Cup finals, winning bronze medals. We're winning bronze medals; it's about that final step now. We've got to punish teams. In every game - youth games, senior games - just to push the game further.
There weren't any opportunities to be a professional women's player until I was 16 and the WSL was formed.
