We knew who wasn’t going before we knew who was.
A trio of announcements from key pieces of England’s last two tournaments brought an air of uncertainty to head coach Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player selection for the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland this summer.
First, goalkeeper Mary Earps announced that she was retiring from international football. Then England trounced Portugal 6-0 in the UEFA Nations League. Midfielder Fran Kirby was a second-half substitute in the match, but she didn’t feature in the following 2-1 loss to Spain. Shortly after the final whistle, she too had announced her retirement from international football, saying to ESPN: “I just didn’t want to overstay my welcome.”
And then Wednesday morning, ahead of today’s squad announcement, defender Millie Bright shared that she was withdrawing from selection, saying she was “not able to give 100 per cent mentally or physically”.
By themselves, each of these things would have come as a shock. Altogether, they’ve caused questions, if not alarm, ahead of the Lionesses’ European Championship title defence. Still, the core Wiegman has been building on the field remains.
In the years since Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup final, Wiegman, who prefers consistency in starting XIs above almost all else, has had to manage her way through a spate of injuries to her squad. Even still, players such as Lauren James, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway are working their way back to full fitness. James’ inclusion in the Euros squad, in particular, shows Wiegman is willing to take a risk to have one of her most game-changing players there for gameday selection.
The shake-up among more established players has also made way for striker Michelle Agyemang, who burst onto the scene with a goal 41 seconds into her debut for the Lionesses earlier this year. She adds an element of mystery for England as Agyemang only has one cap to her name.
Wiegman can change the roster in cases of injuries up until England’s first game on July 5 against France. So there’s still time for relatively untapped talents such as Laura Blindkilde Brown and Missy Bo Kearns, who also recently earned their first caps, to get a chance. Here are the 23 players Wiegman has selected to attempt back-to-back European trophies…
Goalkeepers
Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), 24 years old, 15 caps
Hampton will get plenty of scrutiny given Mary Earps’ retirement, but Wiegman had previously indicated that she was ahead in the pecking order anyway.
Hampton was a backup at Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup and has thrived since moving to Chelsea from Aston Villa two years ago. She didn’t miss a minute of their 2024-25 Women’s Super League (WSL) title-winning campaign.
A reliable shot-stopper, Hampton is also very good in terms of distribution, crucial to Wiegman’s coaching. She’s perhaps not as vocal as Earps, but Hampton has the advantage of playing behind several England team-mates for her club.
Khiara Keating (Manchester City), 20 years old, 0 caps
Now bumped up the pecking order, this is Keating’s first major tournament. Wiegman recalled her to the squad in March after an eight-month absence during which she lacked game time while competing for the No 1 spot at Manchester City last season.
She was the youngest player to win the WSL’s Golden Glove award for the 2023-24 season and is a solid shot-stopper. However, she was prone to errors playing out from the back last term.
Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride), 30 years old, 0 caps
Moorhouse was the most likely goalkeeper not to have made the Euros squad had Earps not retired. The 30-year-old was a surprise inclusion when she was first called up last July and she has kept her place ever since.
A former WSL player at Everton and Arsenal, she made the move to Orlando Pride in 2022.
She made 96 saves in the 2024 NWSL season, conceding only 23 goals, and recorded 14 clean sheets. Her efforts helped the Pride to both a championship title and the NWSL Shield, awarded to the team that secured the most points in the regular season.
She has never played for England but fits the bill as a Wiegman squad member.
Defenders
Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), 33 years old, 133 caps
England’s most experienced player just keeps running and remains a surefire starter. Bronze drives standards among the squad and is a vocal leader.
Lucy Bronze’s leadership will be crucial during the tournament (Jess Hornby/The FA via Getty Images)
Having returned to England from Barcelona in July 2024, the right-back had a very impressive maiden campaign at Chelsea, winning the domestic treble — although a Champions League title with a third team eluded her.
She likes to get forward on the flank and poses an aerial threat, but she is susceptible to conceding possession, as demonstrated in the 2023 World Cup final.
Jess Carter (Gotham FC), 27 years old, 44 caps
A no-nonsense, solid defender who is quick, Carter does the hard yards and is savvy in one-on-one situations.
Having gone from Chelsea, where she played under Emma Hayes, to National Women’s Soccer League side Gotham last year, Carter remains a versatile player Wiegman trusts to play anywhere across the back line.
She started five matches at the 2023 World Cup at centre-back but may be used at left-back this time around.
Niamh Charles (Chelsea), 25 years old, 23 caps
Charles has always felt on the fringes of the side, having missed out on Euro 2022 and only then making two substitute appearances at the 2023 World Cup.
She enjoyed an excellent 2023-24 campaign for Chelsea, driving forward from left-back to record the most goal-creating actions in the league. At that point, she seemed to establish herself in the England side, but a dislocated shoulder at the start of 2024-25 prompted a lengthy absence.
She is naturally right-footed, but is comfortable enough on her left that it’s not noticeably a problem when attacking.
Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), 31 years old, 98 caps
Greenwood is a player who, having not started a single game at Euro 2022, has become a vital cog in the England machine and, with Millie Bright absent, is set to start alongside Williamson at centre-back.
Her left foot — she can play at centre-back or left-back — offers the back line much-needed balance. A capable reader of the game, her positioning is astute, interceptions are well-timed and passes break lines.
The graphic below shows Greenwood’s most common pass is across the back line to circulate possession, but her second most common pass is to her left full-back or winger, showing her willingness to look forward.
The Manchester City captain is building back from a knee injury sustained in December and played her first 90 minutes against Spain on June 3.
Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), 23 years old, 8 caps
A standout player for Manchester United last season, Le Tissier is a robust centre-back who marshals her defence well.
A wise head on young shoulders, the United captain was on the standby list for the 2023 World Cup but did not make the final tournament squad. She has never played consistently under Wiegman given the number of centre-backs ahead of her, but the England boss sees her instead as a Bronze understudy at right-back.
Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), 24 years old, 13 caps
Morgan missed out on Euro 2022 because of a broken leg, but Wiegman has consistently called up the centre-back.
Conscious of the Euros taking place, in 2024, Morgan sought a move away from Manchester City as she was not getting game time. She joined NWSL side Washington Spirit — a move Wiegman supported — and settled in well under the watchful eye of former Barcelona manager Jonatan Giraldez.
She has always been a backup, but started in England’s 6-0 win against Portugal alongside Williamson, a relatively green centre-back partnership.
Leah Williamson (Arsenal), 28 years old, 57 caps
Williamson was installed as England’s captain ahead of Euro 2022 before she had really become an automatic starter, and played in midfield when Wiegman first joined. She missed the World Cup two years ago with an ACL injury and her England performances since then have been shaky, notably in a 4-3 home defeat to Germany in October.
But she was magnificent in Arsenal’s 1-0 Champions League final win over Barcelona last month. At her best, she is positionally excellent and comfortable bringing the ball forward.
Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal), 26 years old, 13 caps
An eloquent, outspoken player, Wubben-Moy was the driving force behind the Lionesses’ successful campaign for girls to have equal access to football in schools.
A sturdy defender who is also comfortable on the ball, she seemed to have established herself as an Arsenal regular in the couple of seasons after Euro 2022, but has been relegated to a backup this season and has been in and out of Wiegman’s squads.
Midfielders
Grace Clinton (Manchester United), 22 years old, 10 caps
A hybrid player between a No 8 and a No 10, Clinton is tidy on the ball, can link play well and turn out of tight spaces. Wiegman has, however, previously said she needs to be more disciplined defensively.
The United midfielder scored on her senior debut in February 2024 and finished the year with three goals in five appearances. This is her major tournament debut, and despite her inexperience, England may need to call upon her, especially given the lack of depth in the No 8 position.
Jess Park (Manchester City), 23 years old, 19 caps
Park is a potentially world-class player who feels somewhat unusual. She initially received starting opportunities in the WSL as a winger, but Park is actually a battling, skilful midfielder who thrives in fast-paced midfield zones where she can jink away from challenges and dribble into attack.
Wiegman has sometimes used her in the No 10 role, including when she scored the winner in a 1-0 Nations League win over Spain in February. She is not a guaranteed starter, but could explode into a superstar.
Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), 26 years old, 77 caps
A battler who grafts in midfield, runs box to box and connects play, Stanway will make her presence felt with meaty challenges.
Wiegman’s midfield has not looked as solid without her since she suffered her first major career injury in January, ruling her out of Bayern Munich’s second half of the season. However, she is gradually finding her competitive rhythm.
She is also England’s dedicated penalty-taker.
Ella Toone (Manchester United), 25 years old, 58 caps
Toone is one of those attacking midfielders whose contribution is primarily scoring goals. Sometimes, Toone isn’t overwhelmingly involved in play, but then she pops up with a big goal: the equaliser against Spain and the opener against Germany in the quarter-final and final of Euro 2022, then the opener in the Finallisma against Brazil, then the opener against Australia in Sydney in the 2023 World Cup semi-final.
At times, it seems like managers want more from her, and despite being Manchester United’s vice-captain, she was omitted from the FA Cup final starting XI.
Keira Walsh (Chelsea), 28 years old, 86 caps
An outstanding player in the Euro 2022 final victory over Germany, Walsh is a calm, intelligent deep midfielder who dictates England’s play. In the wake of that tournament, opponents concentrated on marking her out of the game.
An injury midway through the World Cup the following year forced Wiegman to completely change her system and she remains England’s most irreplaceable outfielder in a position with few obvious replacement options.
After a two-and-a-half-year spell with Barcelona, she moved to Chelsea in January.
Forwards
Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal), 19 years old, 1 cap
An elite goal within 42 seconds of her debut is how Agyemang announced herself on the international stage. A regular member of the England Under-19s, the Arsenal academy graduate was only called up in April because Russo withdrew with a knee injury.
Wiegman has taken a gamble given her vast inexperience — just three and a half years ago she was a ballgirl for England’s 4-0 victory over Northern Ireland at Wembley — but the centre-forward is technically sharp, physically dominant and can rattle opponents’ back lines.
Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), 21 years old, 7 caps
Beever-Jones transformed from a promising talent to a seriously good player over the last season. She played in a variety of roles when emerging at Chelsea, but now seems an obvious centre-forward, offering good link play, clever runs and calm finishing.
She was the top goalscorer for WSL winners Chelsea last season and smashed in a superb hat-trick in the 6-0 win over Portugal when Russo was unavailable.
She will probably be a substitute this summer, but she could have a major impact.
Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), 24 years old, 63 caps
Hemp has looked sharp on her return from her knee injury and comes into the Euros with competitive league minutes under her belt.
England’s brightest spark at the World Cup, the deadly Manchester City winger runs directly at the opposition and also puts in a shift defensively. Wiegman likes her versatility as she can also be used as a backup striker or partner to Alessia Russo up top.
Lauren James (Chelsea), 23 years old, 27 caps
James’ unpredictability raises England to new levels. The fact Wiegman has taken a chance on her despite doubts regarding her fitness — she has not played since sustaining a hamstring injury in April — shows how influential she can be for this England team.
A fluid player who likes to find pockets of space between the midfield and attacking lines, James can unlock opposition blocks with her creativity and guile.
Wiegman has also praised her for her increased defensive awareness. Whether she can get up to speed in time and perform consistently is the key question.
Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, on loan from Manchester City), 27 years old, 52 caps
The winning goalscorer from the Euro 2022 final endured a difficult first half of the season due to a breakdown in her relationship with Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor, only starting one game before Christmas.
But a surprise January move to Arsenal completely rejuvenated her season, and she ended the campaign starting in a Champions League final victory.
Wiegman dropped her from the England squad in February over concerns about her lack of playing time, but then she was immediately recalled due to an injury to Mead, and ended up coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 win over Spain. Hard-working, a good crosser and a regular goalscorer, she’s the complete wide player.
Beth Mead (Arsenal), 30 years old, 67 caps
The star of Euro 2022, Mead was a notable absentee at the 2023 World Cup because of an ACL injury.
Everything she touched three years ago seemed to turn to gold. It is hard to replicate that same form, but with her quick feet, intelligent movement and pressing intensity, she is still one of England’s greatest attacking threats on the right wing.
Alessia Russo (Arsenal), 26 years old, 50 caps
Russo was England’s regular substitute striker at Euro 2022, scoring four goals despite not starting a game — including a brilliant turn-and-finish goal against Northern Ireland and a memorable backheel against Sweden.
Wiegman has always appreciated Russo for her all-around qualities: she uses her body well to shield the ball, links plays and encourages others forward into attack. She was crowned FWA Player of the Year after an excellent season for Arsenal, where she exploded into life after the appointment of head coach Renee Slegers, and finished as the WSL’s joint-top goalscorer alongside Bunny Shaw.
(Top photo: Dan Mullan, Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
