Sarina Wiegman has named a 23 player squad to take to Switzerland this summer in the hopes of defending their Euros 2022 title.
Questions have been raised ahead of the selection as to who would make it into the final squad and if whether recent retirement announcements and injuries would offer the opportunity for other fringe players an incredible opportunity to step up and prove themselves on the European stage.
Find the final squad announcement and analysis below and remember to follow us on social media for all of the latest news:
Official Lionesses squad for Euros:
GOALKEEPERS:
Hannah Hampton, Khiara Keating, Anna Moorhouse
DEFENDERS:
Lucy Bronze, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Alex Greenwood, Leah Williamson
MIDFIELDERS:
Grace Clinton, Jess Park, Ella Toone, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh
FORWARDS:
Lauren Hemp, Beth Mead, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Aggie Beever-Jones, Michelle Agyemang, Alessia Russo
Thoughts on the squad:
Goalkeepers:
After Mary Earps’ sudden announcement to retire, this left the Lionesses with only one goalkeeper (Hannah Hampton) with any senior caps (15).
Although this could be a problem on the surface, Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse have impressed at club level and now have an opportunity to get their first minutes in a senior England shirt and what a fantastic European stage to do it on.
Defenders:
The only real question in defence was whether Lotte Wubben-Moy would secure a call up to the initial squad after missing out on the last few camps (more often than not, being a replacement call-up). The welcome return of Alex Greenwood from injury also provides a wealth of experience in the backline that England were noticeably missing in her absence. Additionally, there will be big shoes to fill with Millie Bright’s absence, however, it provides a huge opportunity for players like Esme Morgan and Maya Le Tissier (who only have around 20 caps between them) to prove what they can do on the big stage.
Midfielders:
On the surface, the Lionesses look incredibly thin on the ground in the midfield area, even with Georgia Stanway returning from injury and surprisingly Missy Bo Kearns (who featured in the latest squad in the UWNL fixtures) missing out on a place.
However, speaking to the press on Thursday afternoon, Wiegman said, “We have to announce players as midfielders and as strikers but I think players can move around. On paper it does not look like we have depth. But we do.” It could be the case then that Leah Williamson may reprise her role as defensive midfielder or some forwards might drop further back into a more attacking midfield role instead if necessary.
Forwards:
One of the biggest question marks over the squad selection was whether Sarina Wiegman would risk youth over experience for this tournament.
Luckily, Michelle Agyemang, the talented young striker who made (and scored on) her senior debut earlier this year has made the final cut despite her lack of tournament experience at this level. Speaking to the press, Wiegman commented how Agyemang “brings something different” and will surely be one of the players to really relish being in this elite environment and having the chance to prove herself.
Finally, Lauren James, who suffered a hamstring injury earlier in the year on international duty, has officially been called up for the summer. According to Wiegman, the 23 year old has returned to training and she’s positive that James still has time to build before the tournament starts. She added to the press, “We don’t see it as a risk. We are just building her.” It could be seen as a risk taking a previously injured player as one of the final 23 squad instead of a standby player considering the lack of immediate depth in midfield but Wiegman insists it is the right decision to include James.
Standby players:
Missy Bo Kearns (MID), Laura Blindkilde Brown (MID), Lucy Parker (DEF) and Sophie Baggaley (GK) will also join up with the 23 player squad at St. George’s Park and stay with the team until they leave for Switzerland.
If Wiegman does have any concerns before the start of the tournament, she can add any of these standby players into the squad. However, it has to be before the tournament starts.
Who is not available for selection?
In the last week, both Mary Earps and Fran Kirby have announced their immediate retirement from international football while Millie Bright has withdrawn herself from selection.
Earps made her announcement via Instagram on 27th May and called her career “the greatest honour to wear this badge and represent my country… this is a new era and a new England team, and I’m looking forward to cheering them on this summer.” The statement came after reportedly shocking her teammates (and Wiegman) on the first day of camp at St. George’s Park with her decision.
Kirby meanwhile announced her retirement after England narrowly lost 2-1 to Spain on Tuesday evening. The 31 year old commented that she was planning to retire after the Euros anyway but after talking to Wiegman, she’d been informed she wasn’t in the plans for the squad this summer so she decided to bring the decision forward.
Bright’s situation is very different, however, announcing on Instagram that despite making herself unavailable for the latest UWNL fixtures, she had also taken the difficult decision to withdraw from selection for the Euros. In her statement, she said, “right now, I’m not able to give 100% mentally or physically. It wouldn’t be fair for me to take the place and opportunity away from another player who is ready and able to give everything for the badge and country.”
We wish Millie all of the best and hope to see her back on the pitch again soon.
The Women’s Euros 2025 starts on 2nd July at 5pm when Iceland face Finland. England’s opening game is on 5th July at 8pm when the Lionesses face France.
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