Speaking to the Players’ Tribune, the 30-year-old talks about her lifelong relationship with her mum, how she helped Mead during tough times in her playing career, losing her mum to cancer, and how her club side Arsenal supported her during these times. Saturday night’s final will see Arsenal take on the might of Barcelona in Lisbon. It is another marvellous feat in Mead’s career which has already seen her crowned Sports Personality of the Year and being awarded an MBE, hot on the heels of England Lionesses winning the Euro 2022, beating Germany 2-1 in the final at Wembley. She was the golden boot winner as well as player of the tournament. On lifelong support from her mum: "My mum just let me do what I had to do,” she said. "She never tried to sand me down or make me more polite or more girly. "I was mischievous, a bit cheeky. "She always had this picture framed on her mantelpiece: I’ve got my brother in a headlock and he’s crying and I’m smiling the biggest grin. “That was just you, she’d say. That’s Beth.” On winning the Euros: “Mum was on such a high watching me that season,” said Mead. "I think for all of us, football was our anchor. "It was the one thing that was distracting us, and giving us so much joy. "We rode that wave into the Euros - that whole July just absolutely flying, into the final, into lifting the trophy, and I told her afterwards, with Sweet Caroline playing behind us, everyone singing their heart out in that stadium around us: “Mum, this is your moment, too.” On her mother's death and support from her club: "I wanted my mum to see me come back but I knew that wouldn’t ever be possible,” she said. “Even now, two-and-a-half years since she died, there’s so many random moments when I feel like I need to ring her. "When I’m having a bad day or a tough time or some problem I want to speak to her about. “I used to call her every day. Now I can’t. "That’s something I’m still trying to get used to.” Mead also praised her Arsenal “second family” for rallying round when she needed them, adding: “That’s not just team-mates stuff. That’s real graft. "All of them there because they really cared about me, as a human. "I’m so happy that we have the chance to write history together in this Champions League Final, and I know that my mum will be watching down on us – her girls." Visit https://www.theplayerstribune.com/beth-mead-wsl-arsenal-soccer for the full story. The Women’s Champions League final kicks off at 5pm. The Gunners secured their place in the final after overcoming a first leg deficit to beat French side Lyon, having seen off Real Madrid in the last eight.