Irene Paredes interview: Spain defender talks to AS ahead of Women’s World Cup

Irene Paredes heads into the Women’s World Cup firmly established as one of the planet’s top centre-backs. The veteran’s stellar career has, in no small part, come down to her strength of character and competitive spirit. No challenge is too great for her. Australia and New Zealand will be World Cup number three both for Spain and for Paredes, who is an exemplary figure on and off the field.

You’ve been a part of every Spanish World Cup campaign. How are you feeling ahead of your third finals?

I really can’t wait. We want to have a good tournament and deliver a statement performance. We want to prove once and for all that we’re one of the world’s very finest sides; we’ve shown that in certain games, but we’ve always come away from tournaments with that ‘if only’ feeling. As players and as professionals, that really bugs us.

If you had to rank this Spain team among the 32 sides at this World Cup, where would you put yourselves?

Nothing is out of our reach; I’m convinced of that. Of course, there are plenty of other sides at the World Cup that are also capable of achieving big things. All 32 teams are at the tournament because they’ve earned that right. We’re just going to take each game as it comes. It may be a cliché, but it’s what we’ve got to do.

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This Spain side is a mix of established figures like you, and a new generation of players. How do you feel about that blend?

Fortunately, the new crop of players that have come into the national team have more experience than we did back in the day. It’s really important that it doesn’t all feel brand-new to you when you go out on to the pitch.

It’s all so different from 2015, when Spain made their World Cup debut. Do you think your inexperience cost you in Canada?

That’s exactly what I’m talking about. None of us, neither the younger players nor the older players, had any experience of anything: major tournaments, big occasions… We weren’t used to playing in front of big crowds. That feels a world away now. Today, we’re a very different proposition. We’re more experienced - although that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll go far. But hopefully we will. When you’ve experienced this before, you’re less likely to let things faze you. It gives you a certain peace of mind when you go out and compete.

Having finally got that Champions League monkey off your back and claimed a winners’ medal, it’s been a special season for you…

It was less a case of getting a monkey off my back, and more simply a case of fulfilling a dream. But I’ve still got more dreams that I want to fulfil. Winning the Champions League once is all well and good, but let’s see now if we can go out and retain the trophy. And, of course, I’m desperate to achieve something big with the national team. I would absolutely love that.

You’re the only mother in Spain’s squad. How are you coping with the task of balancing your professional and parental duties?

Being a mother changes your life. Maybe the trickiest thing is getting the rest that you need as a footballer. Our son is a good boy and he sleeps like a log now, but it’s true that to begin with it was hard. You don’t get the sleep that your body needs. For a number of months, I was so tired that I was more focused on not getting injured than on improving as a player. That aside, my experience is that of any mother or father - it’s about organising your life and relishing the time you spend with him. Bringing him up the best you can. He gives me an extra injection of strength.

Before the squad flew down under, the Spanish Football Federation made arrangements to ensure that players’ family members are close by during the tournament. Children in particular...

It’s a small detail that’s maybe not so small. To perform to your best, you obviously need to train well, but you also need a whole load of things beyond that: you need to rest properly, eat the right food, enjoy your free time… I need to be with my son, and he needs to be with me. Until now, it’s not something that had been considered, maybe because the situation hadn’t arisen. But I’m thankful for it.

You’re now 32; the next World Cup might be a stretch too far…

Maybe, yeah. That’s why I’m so focused on winning this one. That’s my dream. I can’t let myself be distracted by thoughts of what’s to come - I have to focus on the here and now. Day in, day out, you can see the progress that everyone in the squad is making. We’re working on things, ironing out the kinks we find.

I have to ask about Alexia Putellas. She goes into the World Cup after a season almost entirely lost to injury, and with the weight of expectation that comes with being the back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner.

Alexia really needed to feel like a footballer again. You can’t imagine how important that is, particularly for someone like her… After spending so many months on the sidelines, it isn’t easy - not least for a player who’s under the media spotlight like she is. It’s hard to get back into your stride; it takes time. We have to just leave her be. Hopefully she can hit top form at this World Cup, because she’s a match winner. We’re very lucky to have her.