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One year ago, Arsenal striker Danielle Carter scored a hat-trick on her international debut.

Then 22 years of age, she put three past Estonia in Tallinn as England began their Euro 2017 qualification campaign in blistering style – an 8-0 win. Carter had very clearly demonstrated her nose for goal and her clinical finishing.

Yet that was not enough. She did not get called up for the next camp – or the one after that. As England scrapped around for goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina and then Belgium, Carter was kicking her heels at home.

Before the FA Women’s Cup Final in May, Carter said she had not heard from England head coach Mark Sampson in a while, but she was sanguine about that, if disappointed.

“It’s for the manager to pick who he wants to go away,” she said then. “I 100 per cent want to be playing with England. I took my chance when I got it given, so hopefully I get another chance.”

As if to emphasise that, she scored an absolutely beautiful solo goal to win Arsenal the cup at Wembley. Sampson was surely watching as Carter jinked down the left wing and curled her shot past Hedwig Lindahl; but she was not named in the England squad for the double-header against Serbia in June.

Perhaps Sampson is keen on symmetry. He recalled Carter to his squad to face Estonia once more - at Meadow Lane as England played their final home match of the qualifying campaign. Amazingly, she hit another hat-trick.

“It’s unbelievable. The first time I was lost for words – this time I don’t know what to say,” she said after the game, match ball and branded fizzy wine proudly perched alongside her. “I’m just glad we got the three points and that we sent the fans off happy with our last home performance [in Euro 2017 qualification].”

She was sitting in an unpleasantly humid room on the second floor of the stadium, but not even that could dim her beam.

“It’s been a long road,” she admitted. “He’s got a lot of players to choose from, and a right to choose whoever he wants to choose. I’ve been doing well at my club, and when I got called in to the last training camp I’ve just been trying to impress him, and waiting for my opportunity again.”

It was the answer of a diplomat. Sampson, always garrulous, had earlier spoken extensively about his thoughts on Carter.

“We’re clear now that it’s about having players that can win for England,” he said. “It’s not about being an international - it’s about being a player that can go to a World Cup and win for England. Dan certainly did her work to get to a position where she’s got to a position where she can help us win consistently, and credit to her, and to her club for the support they’ve given her. You can see – she looks more athletic, a lot more aggression in her game, intensity. Technically she’s [always] been excellent – she just needed to add some bits to her game. Coming back into the environment now, she looks sharp, she looks aggressive, she looks confident – she looks like a woman on a mission.”

It was almost amusing to hear Carter say that Sampson was under no pressure to pick her – she had played just two games during the qualification campaign and was still the squad’s top scorer.

“There’s a lot more to work on behind closed doors, which we’ve spoken about. I know what I need to do to remain in his plans – and if I can do that, then hopefully I can remain in an England shirt,” she said.

And would she be looking at the schedule to see when there next might be a possibility of playing Estonia?

She laughed.

“Oh, yeah, I’m going to request it in every campaign!”