Jill Scott picks out England 'difference maker' as Lionesses eye Euro 2025 glory
Lauren James has the class to make the difference for England this summer - but Leah Williamson and Hannah Hampton are also worth their weight in gold to Sarina Wiegman. That's the verdict of Lionesses legend Jill Scott as the Three Lions bid to book their place in the quarter-finals of the European Championships with victory against Wales on Sunday.
Chelsea star James dazzled in the 4-0 demolition of the Netherlands, netting twice, and Scott is adamant the 23-year-old possesses the class to fire England to glory in Switzerland. She said: "Lauren has been brilliant. She's one of those players like Kelly Smith and Fran Kirby that can make something out of nothing. "As soon as she got half a yard on Wednesday, I was up off my seat because I knew it was flying in. Her technical ability is one of the best I've ever seen in the women's game.
"She's grown so much since working under Emma Hayes at Chelsea, she can be the difference but in this team, the girls do their job roles to help her flourish."
Scott, who was on set at Coronation Street yesterday for the FA's Big Football Day powered by The National Lottery, was not surprised to see England goalkeeper Hampton's stunning distribution on display against Holland.
The 38-year-old also had huge praise for Lionesses captain Williamson as the Arsenal defender continues to showcase her quality.
Scott continued: "Hannah's pass the other day reminded me of when I went on loan to Aston Villa.
"At the time, I was totally in awe of her passing, it was the best I'd ever seen from a goalkeeper.
"She almost has a sat nav on her foot, I was talking about it before the game and then to see that pass, wow!
"We have to give her massive credit because she's come into the tournament with the weight of being England's No.1 which is the most pressurised position on the pitch, but she's taken it in her stride.
"Leah is a massive player for both club and country, she has the ability to play in virtually any position on the pitch.
"She always leads by example with her performances and it reflects throughout the team."
Scott remains confident the defending champions can retain the trophy, adding: "Wales have done really well to qualify for their first tournament.
"Their fans have also been superb but everyone expects England to win and I believe they can make the final. "You can't overlook Spain, they play amazing football but we've got results against them in the past. They wouldn't scare me but I think they deserve respect. "This is also one of the best French teams I've seen too, they would be the two nations I'd highlight but on their day, I think England can beat both of them."
Scott, who won an incredible 161 caps for the Three Lions, spoke of her pride following her involvement in The National Lottery's Big Football Day.
She concluded: "I don't think people realise that the National Lottery has invested £6billion into grassroots sport, something girl's football has benefited immensely from.
"I'm a massive soap fan and to come down to Coronation Street, one of the most-iconic streets in the country, was something I had to come back from Switzerland for.
"The growth of the women's game is really difficult to put into words, we've now built a fanbase that will be with the Lionesses through thick and thin."
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an hour ago
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While she might mistake the 'Toooone' shouts for boos, there is no doubting the travelling English support only have reason to celebrate her performances in Switzerland so far. England a step above At points in the first half in St. Gallen, it appeared Wales were giving goals away as though they were bottles of Prime in Waterloo Station. The reality was that the gulf in quality just proved too stark. England were faster and stronger as they pressed Wales high up the pitch, forcing them into errors early on. Ella Toone's goal highlighted the problem. As Leah Williamson pinged a ball out to Lauren Hemp on the left, the forward saw her cross cut out, but Georgia Stanway pounced as Wales failed to clear their lines fast enough. The ball squeezed through to Alessia Russo, who took the goalkeeper out of the equation before Toone was allowed two attempts at goal before finally hitting the back of the net. At each stage England were faster to react and their six-goal total proved they were simply too much to handle for Wales. It represents the biggest margin of victory at the tournament so far, while Wales' goal difference of minus-11 is the worst on record in the group stages of a women's Euros. But Wales have reason to be proud While the performance left much to be desired on Sunday evening and saw Wales heading home from Switzerland, they have plenty to be proud of from their stint at the tournament. The debutants not only scored their first-ever major tournament goal to equalise early on against France, they managed to repeat the feat against an England side in their stride. Jess Fishlock's pass through to Cain demonstrated the levels Wales can rise to as she played the former Leicester player in behind with a perfectly weighted pass. Cain's finish was equally brilliant as she fired past Hannah Hampton into the far top corner with aplomb. For a first major tournament with a significantly smaller player pool than their opponents, they have not disgraced themselves in the 'group of death' and have given the travelling fans plenty to celebrate. A big win to secure progression from Group D! 🔒🙌 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 13, 2025 The Red Wall stands strong Despite travelling to Switzerland with a strong possibility that their side may not even win a match, Wales have brought the numbers for their first appearance at a major tournament. Nowhere was that more evident than in St. Gallen where red shirts flooded the city during the day before piling into Kybunpark for what proved to be their final game at the tournament. In fact, despite the gulf in expectations, the Welsh fans brought a 2,400-strong contingent for their allocated section, with plenty more spread out in the neutral seats, compared to the 2,100 sold for England's end. The red, yellow and green bucket hats were in full force, and the Welsh were in customarily fine voice with a goosebump-raising rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. The loudest roar of the night came in the 76th minute when Hannah Cain brilliant strike earnt a late consolation for Wales and gave the wall of red reason enough to commence celebrations.
