Sarina Wiegman has been forced to officially name her squad ahead of Euro 2025 in Switzerland. The official announcement leaves a lot to be desired, with some glaring omissions, and worryingly, questions over player fitness. The final selection proudly presents a colorful array of emerging youthful talent as well returning, equally dynamic artists. With key players such as Mary Earps and Fran Kirby missing, questions persist regarding the depth of the team.
Earps and Kirby each confirmed their retirements from international duty before the announcement of the squad. At the same time, defender Millie Bright decided to remove herself from selection. These changes meant a starting lineup featuring an overall loss of 218 caps from the Euro 2022-winning squad. This time, Wiegman will have to engineer success with a squad featuring far fewer seasoned veterans.
Even with all these caveats hovering over Wiegman’s picks, she strikes a hopeful, affirming chord in what she’s chosen. She stressed the need to recruit international talent, including 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang. She made an immediate impact after scoring on her debut against Belgium in April, and she brings a new energy to the squad. Wiegman has added Lauren James to the final squad. This decision is made even more puzzling by the fact that nobody has seen James since her hamstring injury in April.
New Faces and Fresh Energy
The new-look squad for Euro 2025 includes many who’ll be making their first appearances at a major tournament. Agyemang isn’t the only one set to make her debut. She will be joined on the field by teammates Aggie Beever-Jones, Grace Clinton, Khiara Keating, Maya Le Tissier, Anna Moorhouse, and Jess Park! This youth movement provides a new sense of energy and optimism to the Browns’ locker room. It casts doubt over their capacity to execute on what will be, arguably, a once-in-a-lifetime platform.
Wiegman shot down questions about the experience of her team being a factor in the outcome. “The experience is enough. The balance? They are not all very young, the players playing their first tournament are so eager too. The balance and the dynamics are good as well,” she stated.
The new Reds manager admitted that in some circles the team is viewed as not very deep on paper. She’s an unwavering proponent of using the midfielders and strikers to fill in elsewhere when they need to. “On paper, it looks like we’re not so in-depth. In the team, we have enough depth in midfield,” she noted.
Handling Player Absences
Millie Bright’s choice to take a break from international duty has been the biggest discussion topic. Wiegman expressed her approval regarding the way Bright’s situation was handled both by her club and the national team. Ms. McMillan confirmed that talk of Bright’s withdrawal was over. “That was last week, a week and a half ago. We’ve been speaking about that a lot. Those conversations were finished. We went back to business and moved on,” she explained.
The lack of other big names such as Earps, vice-captain along with Elle Bright in 2023, is clearly felt in terms of leadership. Wiegman is undeterred as she has faith in the teamwork and mentality of her squad to deliver at the highest level.
“It’s sad and disappointing and of course it’s not nice when you don’t feel well physically and mentally,” Wiegman added, reflecting on the emotional toll such decisions take on both players and coaching staff.
Upcoming Fixtures and Tournament Outlook
The squad open their campaign with a warm up game against Jamaica on June 29, at King Power Stadium. First up, they’ll face France on July 5. After that, they’re set to face off against the Netherlands on July 9 and Wales on July 13 in the group stage.
As excitement grows ahead of this summer’s tournament, Wiegman acknowledged the presence of “noise” surrounding squad selection ahead of major tournaments. You [assessors] don’t know any of it, because you’re not living in our ecosystem 24/7 like we are, but you can see bits and pieces. And I can tell you that the training has been excellent,” she vowed.
With heightened visibility of women’s football since 2017, England’s journey in Euro 2025 will be closely watched as they strive to build on their previous successes while adapting to new challenges.
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