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A former England Lioness has torn allegiances on Wednesday evening - as she is dating one of Argentina’s World Cup squad.
Kelci Bowers, a 22-year-old defender who rose through the England youth ranks, will be supporting her partner, defender Marcos Senesi, as Argentina take on the Three Lions for a place in the final.
The couple met while playing for the women’s and men’s teams at Bournemouth, before Senesi completed a move to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer.
Bowers represented England’s youth teams from the under-15 to under-19 levels, and has also had spells at Chelsea, Southampton, Louisiana State University and Portsmouth.
She told The Times: “I made my England debut on 16 April 2019 at just 15 years old and stayed in the England set-up until I moved to the United States when I was 18. During that time I earned six caps, which is something I’ll always be incredibly proud of.
Kelci Bowers
“You can imagine that my childhood and upbringing were completely centred around England, so wearing that shirt meant everything to me.”
Bowers said that she has faced questions from “every single person” about where her loyalty lies, before the latest chapter in one of football’s most famous international rivalries.
She said: “It’s a very unusual situation for me. I grew up wearing an England shirt and had the privilege of representing England, so that connection will always be incredibly strong. England making it to the semi-final is a crazy accomplishment and I’m super proud of my country.”
However, she admitted that, despite being born and raised in England, she would be supporting La Albiceleste on Wednesday.
She said: “When your partner is playing in one of the biggest games of his career, naturally you want him to do well too.
“I’ll be supporting Marcos personally while still feeling incredibly proud whenever I see England on a stage like this. It’s probably the only game where I’ll be feeling nervous for both sides.”
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“It’s one of the most iconic rivalries in international football. There’s so much history behind the fixture, which naturally creates an extra level of emotion and intensity,” she added.
Bowers told The Times that the couple met while on a photoshoot for AFC Bournemouth, during which they had a few group photos together.
She said that it was “really special” that the pair have those photos from the very first day they met.
She said that she was going to Wednesday evening’s game, and was going to respect both teams while cheering on her partner.
She added: “I’m going to be wishing England the best game. I have best intentions for both teams. Whatever the outcome is, we’ll just see.”