Carter: We can hold our heads high despite missing out on Paris

Jess Carter admits it will not be easy for the Lionesses to shrug off the pain of failing to fire Team GB to the 2024 Olympics. 

With only England's results from the Nations League counting towards qualification, Sarina Wiegman's side had to finish top of League A Group 1 to book a spot in Paris for a side that would have also represented Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

But despite hammering the Scots 6-0 in their final game, Carter and Co were left heartbroken when two last-gasp strikes saw the Netherlands pip them on goal difference. 

The Chelsea star, who was on the bench at Hampden Park, told LiveScore: "It's one of those where if you score six goals and you still don't go through, maybe it's just not meant to be.

"It was a tough one to take and I think we're all well aware it wasn't about the Scotland game.

"It was the goals we gave up prior to that, the losses we had before that. That's what killed us.

"The game we lost against Belgium, those kinds of moments really defined our tournament. 

"But regardless of the result and not qualifying, we can all hold our heads high and know we gave everything we could right until the end. 

"Unfortunately, we just came up short this time."

Au revoir 

After losing 2-1 to the Netherlands in late September, Wiegman's team bounced back with a 1-0 win in the first match of a double-header against Belgium the following month. 

But they suffered a further setback days later when a 2-1 lead slipped away in Leuven as the Belgian Red Flames roared back to win 3-2. 

Carter added: "We want to win everything. We want to be part of every single competition.

"It almost makes it harder to be that close but to have come up short.

"I know it sounds weird but maybe it wouldn't hurt as much if we'd lost or hadn't scored six goals [against Scotland]."

Eager Beever-Jones

Carter, 26, has been a big part of the successful environment created by head coach Wiegman, who led the Lionesses to glory at Euro 2022 and the World Cup final in the summer.  

One player looking to join her in the England set-up is Chelsea team-mate Aggie Beever-Jones.

Prior to Sunday's 4-1 humbling at Arsenal, Beever-Jones had netted five goals in her last five outings for the Women's Super League champions. 

And Carter is delighted to see the England Under-23s ace shining.

She said: "It's great to see Aggie doing so well. She's been flying. She's doing really well and just has to continue that.

"Obviously it's difficult with game time and the kind of depth we have in our squad. 

"But I think it's about being patient and taking it when you get an opportunity — just like she has done already. 

"As long as she keeps her head down and doing the things she's doing, I don't see why she couldn't turn out to be a really top talent."