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Today is the big day. Sarina Wiegman will name 23 England players for their title defence at the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland from St George’s Park.
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Wiegman will be taking a very different side to Switzerland than the one that triumphed on home soil in 2022. The former No 1 Mary Earps announced her shock retirement after being told she would have been backup goalkeeper to Hannah Hampton at the tournament. Fran Kirby also announced her retirement from international duty after being told she would not be selected before the vice-captain Millie Bright withdrew herself from contention, citing physical and mental burnout.
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The announcement will be made at 2pm BST. And, as always, feel free to send me an email with your thoughts, questions, predictions and musings.
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Key events
Decision No 3: how many keepers?
Earps’s retirement has thrown a spanner in the works for a position which is usually pretty easy to predict before a major tournament.
Hampton is the undeniable No 1 now despite never playing a major tournament. That leaves Keating – the 20-year-old is on the come up but has captured attention for her form at Manchester City and Moorhouse – the 30-year-old who plays for the Orlando Pride in the NWSL.
Both have 0 appearances at international level. Will Wiegman opt to give one of their spots to an outfield player?
Barcelona’s Ellie Roebuck has 11 appearances for England but having not been a No 1 keeper at Barcelona, her current club, she is out of contention.
Decision No 2: Michelle Agyemang
The case for: The Brighton forward is one of England’s most exciting prospects. At the last international break, Agyemang moved from the Under-19s to the senior squad, replacing an injured Alessia Russo. She came off the bench while England was losing to Belgium and within 41 seconds, she scored. She offers something different from her teammates
The case against: The 19-year-old lacks experience and with Wiegman losing three senior players already, will she prioritise fringe players who have been at a major tournament before?
Decision No 1: Lauren James
The case for: The Chelsea forward has been a star for England making her mark at the World Cup with three goals and three assists despite being banned for two of the knockout matches.
The case against: A hamstring injury while on international duty with England has kept James on the sidelines since April. Will Wiegman risk taking someone that is not fully fit to the tournament?
Wiegman has said she is optimistic James can be fit this summer but has been coy about the timeline of her return leaving doubts.
With LJ [James], she is of course on the pitch [training], she is still in the position that we expect her to be, so she’s progressing in the rehab and that’s going really well, so I’m positive about that.
Focus now turns to today for Wiegman who has had the Nations League to figure out the best squad to take. Before England’s loss to Spain on Tuesday night, the England head coach said that while she is a while away from knowing her starting XI for the tournament, she was pretty certain which 23 would be on the plane to Switzerland.
Let’s take a look at some of the key decisions she will have made for this squad.
And yesterday the vice-captain Millie Bright withdrew from contention for the tournament opting to prioritise her physical and mental health.
Football has given me so much and representing my country has always been my greatest honour. My pride and ego tells me to go but I think the team and the fans deserve more. Right now I’m not able to give 100% mentally or physically.
As much as I want to be out there running through brick walls for England and fighting alongside my teammates, stepping back is the right thing for my health, my future, the game and most importantly the team. It wouldn’t be fair for me to take the place and opportunity away from another player who is ready to give everything for the badge and country
All three of Earps, Kirby and Bright started every game of the Lionesses’ run to Euro 2022 glory.
Straight after England’s loss to Spain in the Nations League Fran Kirby announced her retirement from the setup after learning after learning that she would be part of the squad this summer.
In interviews with the BBC and ESPN the 31-year-old midfielder explained that she had already been planning to retire after Euro 2025 but she brought the decision forward.
It has been a tumultuous 10 days for the England camp. Earps had discussions with Wiegman about retiring from international duty for 12 to 18 months and despite being asked to reconsider, the goalkeeper shocked her teammates by stepping aside with immediate effect.
It has been the greatest honour and privilege of my life, to wear this badge, represent my country and play alongside such an incredible group of players.
I’ve spent a long time making this decision and it’s not one I’ve made lightly. For me, ultimately this is the right time for me to step aside and give the younger generation an opportunity to thrive. Winning the Euros in 2022 was the best day of my life, and I’m rooting for the girls to do it again this summer.
Hampton has emerged as Wiegman’s new No 1 but Earps’s departure does leave the England squad with two uncapped goalkeepers heading to Switzerland in Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse.
Preamble
Today is the big day. Sarina Wiegman will name 23 England players for their title defence at the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland from St George’s Park.
Wiegman will be taking a very different side to Switzerland than the one that triumphed on home soil in 2022. The former No 1 Mary Earps announced her shock retirement after being told she would have been backup goalkeeper to Hannah Hampton at the tournament. Fran Kirby also announced her retirement from international duty after being told she would not be selected before the vice-captain Millie Bright withdrew herself from contention, citing physical and mental burnout.
The announcement will be made at 2pm BST. And, as always, feel free to send me an email with your thoughts, questions, predictions and musings.