Nikita Parris “hates” stretching so she surprised herself by enjoying yoga – and the Manchester United winger is now hoping the benefits will earn her a recall from England.
The 29-year-old enjoyed scoring eight goals in seven games across October and November and told Telegraph Sport exclusively that it was yoga that gave him new life on the pitch.
“I always knew I had this form but I came to a new club with a different style of play and I had to get used to them and they had to get used to me,” said Parris, who signed for Manchester United from Arsenal. In August 2022. “There is balance in my life now. When you’re young, you’re always hungry and you really forget about the other side, which is spending time with family and friends and trying new things. For me it was trying yoga. It was very important.
“I started this job when I was told I wouldn’t be going to the World Cup. We now have a new yoga teacher at Manchester United who is great and helps me focus on the things I can control. If anyone knows me, I hate stretching, I used to say it was pointless. But for me, yoga isn’t just about stretching.” , is to clear my mind.
“It’s about being able to unload everything that I’m overthinking and can’t control. This awareness allows me to let go of the things I really can’t control. I couldn’t do this when there was so much in my head that I wanted to say or do. It would all be a bit much.
A month after joining Manchester United, Parris scored in a 2-0 win in Austria to secure England’s place at the 2023 World Cup, but soon found herself left out of Sarina Wiegman’s squad plans for Australia . Now the club hopes her form will lead to her representing the Lionesses again.
“I’m not just fighting for a place at Manchester United, I’m also fighting for a place back in the England setup,” he adds. “For me, this is still an issue. I won’t give up on this.
“I trust myself, I trust my ability. “Obviously there’s a lot of good talent and a lot of depth in the England squad at the moment and you’re competing with them and I’m happy to be competing.”
‘It was difficult not to be selected for the World Cup’
Parris helped United reach the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley and finish second in the Women’s Super League last season, but that was not enough to earn a place in last summer’s World Cup squad, which she said was “very difficult” last summer.
“It has been very difficult for me to go since that November. [2022] “I felt like my performances were very good, so it was difficult for me, but sometimes there are moments like these and you wonder ‘what can I do to come back, to get better?’ and ‘What can I do to make it harder not to choose me?’ And that’s what I focused on over the summer.”
Parris helped England win the 2022 European Championship and was a regular starter in the Lionesses team that reached the 2019 World Cup semi-finals. That year, she was widely regarded as one of the best players in the WSL; She was named Female Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association but feels she has matured since then.
“I’m a more experienced player. I understand what my strengths and weaknesses are and what positions I want to find myself in most of the time, which allows me to make the most of my ability,” says Parris. “That’s what I’ve been able to develop at Manchester United: getting into the positions where I’m most effective.”
Parris attributes much of this to the influence of his head coach at Manchester United, Marc Skinner. “I found it very liberating,” she says of working under him. He is not too strict about playing patterns and wingers being too wide. He always talks about me being someone who gets on the ball, shows off my skills, and is ruthless in both areas. He really challenged me.
“Obviously there were times when he wouldn’t play with me and I had to really fight and understand what he wanted and whether I liked it or not, that helped me. It improved my mentality. When things don’t go your way, sometimes you throw in the towel or you give up or you blame everyone and what happens as an individual You don’t really look at what you can do, so I found the ability to bounce back, or ‘What can I do to improve myself?’ “Say it and focus on it every day in training.”
‘It’s amazing to be ringside at my sister’s fights’
Parris, who decided to work with a running coach and a technical coach when he returned to Liverpool, continues to focus on training during the current winter break. Of course, he also spends time with his family, including his sister and two-weight world champion boxer Natasha Jonas. Parris sometimes has a hard time watching Jonas’ fights up close, but he can’t hide his pride when talking about his accomplishments.
“On the weekends when we don’t have matches or training I go to watch him fight ringside and he’s done very well the last two years, he’s a double world champion. Being at ringside is definitely great, but it’s nerve-wracking,” Parris says. “You see everything, the saliva coming out of the mouth, the blood. You begin to see the dangers of sports rather than their excitement. Sometimes it’s exciting and fun, but sometimes in big fights you’re looking through your fingers more than anything!”
Jonas will defend her IBF world title against American Mikaela Mayer in Liverpool on January 20 but Parris will have to content herself with watching from a distance as she prepares to face Chelsea in a heavyweight WSL clash with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge the following day.