Martha Thomas couldn’t get to an airport quick enough as England hosted – and won – the last Women’s European Championships.
Now she hopes to be reaching for her passport with an entirely different vibe to the trip.
Thomas netted her seventh goal in her last six international appearances on Tuesday night as Scotland swept Hungary aside with an emphatic 4-0 win that moves within two games of making it to Switzerland next summer.
They now face Finland with a place at the tournament up for grabs with Thomas confident that Scotland go into that game with the hurt of previous failures sufficient to act as their driver.
“I think I watched one game and I wished I had never gone [to the last Euros]!” she said. “I felt we were good enough to compete so it felt really disappointing not to be there.
“I went on holiday so I didn’t have to watch games! A lot of us are desperate to make sure that we are in Switzerland and fully involved and that is what it is all about right now.
“There are a lot of catalysts for us but that will definitely add fuel to the fire but we definitely have that fire in our belly to get there.”
Read more:
- Martinez Losa claims Scotland are ready to feature at major tournament
- Hungary 0 Scotland 1: Thomas strike hands Scots Euro 25 play-off lead
Pedro Martinez Losa’s side tied with the Finns in February at the Pinatar Cup before losing on penalties.
However, that has been the only blot on a consistent run of form of late.
It has been seven successive wins for Scotland who are unbeaten in their last eight games with a palpable confidence about the side.
“You can’t take any team lightly,” said Thomas. “We know they are strong but we are confident although we know that it will be tough.
“It would mean the world to get to the Euros. The last two campaigns have just been so disappointing to not get over the line.
“We have such a talented team that we deserve to be at major tournaments. A lot of us feel that and there are a lot of the same squad who missed those tournaments.
“We have a lot of fuel that we want to take into the Euros.”
Thomas believes there is still more to come from Scotland.
“We were sloppier than we wanted to be at times but we are happy,” said the striker.
“We are a tightknit group and we have a lot of belief in one another.”
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