Pamela Cookey hails retired England captain Serena Guthrie’s influence on netball | Netball News

Pamela Cookey has hailed Serena Guthrie’s influence on the sport of netball, after the England captain announced her retirement on Wednesday.

Former England captain Cookey was part of iconic Superleague side Team Bath Netball along with Guthrie and represented the Roses alongside the now retired 32-year-old.

Guthrie, the current England captain, has announced that she is pregnant with her first child and has made the decision to retire from international and elite level netball.

The news means the 110-cap midfielder will not be available for England’s Commonwealth Games title defense in Birmingham later this year.

England are heading to the Games aiming to replicate the success they had on the Gold Coast in 2018, but must do so without a player who Cookey considers one of the best to have played the game.

“Serena is phenomenal and it’s such a sad loss for the netball community, for England, the Bath team and for sport in general,” Cookey said. Sky Sports News.

“At the same time, I’m so happy for her with what’s to come with her family and their next steps.

“As a player, Serena was just exceptional – at times the skills she displayed defied the laws of physics. The way she could intercept, keep the ball in the field and pass that ball for her teammates. [was incredible].

“She was a powerhouse in terms of what she could do on the court, her leadership and how she delivered with her game.

Serena Guthrie was an outstanding athlete and mid-court netball player

“Serena won four Superleague titles with Team Bath so she was at the top of her game there. For England she was part of the first team to win the FastNet series and part of the team that beat the Australia in a 3-0 whitewash in 2013 for the first time.

“She was also a vital part of England’s incredible achievement in winning gold on the Gold Coast at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. Recently, she was instrumental in a first-ever series victory over England. Silver Ferns in New Zealand.

“Serena has done so many firsts [in the sport] and as a person and a player, she is legendary.”

The Bath Netball team celebrate winning the Superleague in 2007

Guthrie rose through the ranks alongside Cookey at Team Bath Netball and the pair were part of a team that produced many of the sport’s greatest athletes including Geva Mentor, Tamsin Greenway and Rachel Dunn.

At the time, she was in the formative years of her career but, even in those early days, it was clear that Guthrie had a spark and an energy that few others could match.

“Her free-spirited nature meant she made things fun, whether in training, in the locker room or on the pitch,” Cookey noted. “With Serena, it always felt like we were in a bubble with her, and she brought people along with her energy and her passion.

“As a person, she held herself to such a level of responsibility [and standards] and as teammates around her, you wanted to go with her and be part of her.

“Serena did it in such a special way too. You always felt like she was supporting you, supporting you and going out of her way to make everyone around her successful as well.

“As a player she was phenomenal, but as a person and as a leader, England Netball was so lucky that she took matters into her own hands when given the chance.”

Serena Guthrie led England to a home Netball World Cup in 2019

Former England head coach Tracey Neville, who appointed Guthrie as captain ahead of a home World Cup, has made it clear why she did so at the time.

“She speaks and sweats world class,” Neville said of Guthrie, in 2019.

“She was blown away [when I told her she was captain] and I think the phone call she received was quite emotional. I had tears about it because it probably wasn’t something she expected.

“With Serena, she probably underestimates herself more than anyone else. In our eyes, she’s a world-class player. She’s a beautiful person and so valuable as a member of the team. .”

As a netball nation, England has produced exceptional athletes, individuals who have defined the game in their country.

The likes of Mentor, Layla Guscoth, Eboni Usoro-Brown, Jo Harten and Jade Clarke are still playing international level netball. There are others too, including Cookey, Neville, Karen Atkinson, Olivia Murphy, Greenway and Sonia Mkoloma, to name a few, who hung up their dresses some time ago.

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Pamela Cookey says her former teammate Serena Guthrie will be greatly missed on and off the pitch,

As a former England captain and someone who continues to study netball, commentate the sport and provide astute analysis, Cookey is well placed to position Guthrie in the ranks of England’s top flight.

“Serena is good up there, in terms of top English players,” Cookey noted.

“She’s arguably one of the greatest wing defenses and centers we’ve ever had in terms of attacking play and defensive play. I would call her a GOAT [greatest of all time].

“She’s just that kind of player; the fans love her, the players love her and the coaches love working with her. She’s got it all.

“Netball has come a long way and it’s thanks to people like Serena and what she’s done on and off the court,” Cookey concluded. “The way she talks about the sport, champions it and gets other people to share her vision.

“She’ll just keep doing it now that she’s not playing and it’s a good thing for our game to have someone like her keep it going.”