Five facts about England teenage striker Michelle Agyemang
1. She joined Arsenal at the age of six
Agyemang is a lifelong Arsenal fan and joined the club's academy at the age of six, after her dad, a grassroots football coach, secured her a trial.She started out playing as a defender but developed into a striker.Agyemang played through the age categories and moved into Arsenal's first-team set-up, making her debut in November 2022 at the age of 16.She scored her first goal for the club two months later and made her first appearance in a European competition in Arsenal's Champions League semi-final in May 2023.Agyemang has also had loan spells with Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion.
2. She was a regular goalscorer for the Young Lionesses
Before joining the senior side, Agyemang had been a regular goalscorer for the Young Lionesses. She made 25 age-group appearances for the national team - from the under-16s to the under-23s.She scored 10 goals in 12 appearances for the under-17s, before making the step up to the under-19s team.Then within the space of a few days in April this year, she went from scoring for the under-19s to producing an amazing debut for the senior side, which led to her Euros call-up.
3. She has previously been a ballgirl for England
Euro 2025 isn't technically Agyemang's first senior tournament appearance for the Lionesses. Did you know she's previously appeared as a ballgirl for England?In October 2021, Agyemang was at Wembley Stadium during Sarina Wiegman's first game in charge of the Lionesses.And it appears she could well have been a lucky mascot that day.England went on to win the match 4-0 against Northern Ireland.
4. She scored on her England senior debut
Scoring on your England senior debut is something many players dream about, but how about netting your first England goal just 41 seconds after being subbed on?That's exactly what happened to Michelle earlier this year.She made her first senior appearance in the Nations League against Belgium in April.The 19-year-old fired in a stunning volley within a minute of coming on as a substitute late on in the game.After the match, Wiegman was full of praise for Agyemang."That goal was just incredible. The composure, the first touch and the second touch. For her, it was really nice that she comes on and within a minute she has the moment," she said.
5. She's the youngest Lioness at Euro 2025
Despite having only played 14 minutes of senior international football, manager Sarina Wiegman named Agyemang in England's Euro 2025 squad last month.At the age of 19, Agyemang is the youngest Lionesses at the tournament - and also the only teenager.But the striker says she's ready to play and support her fellow teammates."Just focusing on how I can improve my game and how I can help the team is my most important thing."All of us on the bench know that we could be called upon any time and we have gone through scenarios. It could be anyone at any time," Agyemang added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Sun
Lionesses' fans flock to Basel to cheer on team in Euros final – as pubs prepare for bumper day
ENGLAND fans have flocked to Basel to roar on the Lionesses against Spain tomorrow — while millions at home will also be willing our girls to lift the Euro trophy for the second time in a row. Sarina Wiegman 's warriors have the perfect opportunity to avenge their crushing World Cup final defeat by Spain two years ago, and the nation is gearing up for the big match — guaranteeing a bumper day for pubs and supermarkets across the country. 3 Asda expects to sell at least six million pints of beer, 1.3 million bags of crisps and 300,000 pizzas, while a million extra pints will be sold in pubs, giving a huge boost to the economy. The bookies are in for a bonanza too, as in betting terms the match is set to be the biggest in the history of the women's game. England are the underdogs, with their odds currently at 2/1, but 80 per cent of punters are betting on them winning. Coral's John Hill said: 'We are seeing one-way traffic for the Lionesses in our betting, despite them being underdogs. "They have overcome the odds a few times in Switzerland, so the bookmakers are staring down the barrel at a bumper payout should they win.' England fans arriving at Basel Airport yesterday were convinced their heroines can triumph. Women's football consultant Andrea Ekblad, from St Albans, Herts, said: 'I was at the final at Wembley when they won the Euros in 2022. 'I'm superstitious, so I'm wearing the shirt I wore in 2022 — hopefully that helps them win.' Ava Lambert, 16, of Chelmsford, Essex, said: 'I've been watching all the games at home so I'm really pleased to be here for the final. 'Good luck England, you can do it.' England Lionesses press conference ahead of Euro 2025 final vs Spain 3
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Martin reveals long-held desire to link up with Crystal Palace ace as Rangers boss hopes to bring winger to Ibrox
Rangers boss Russell Martin has admitted he is a long-time admirer of potential transfer target Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Martin confirmed his interest in the Crystal Palace winger after it was revealed the Ibrox club have made an enquiry about taking the 22-year-old on loan with a possible option to buy. Rak-Sakyi has played 10 first-team games for Palace, and scored seven goals in 36 appearances for Sheffield United on loan last season. The England Under-21 international previously hit 15 goals during a season-long loan with Charlton. When asked about the reports, former Southampton manager Martin told Sky Sports News: 'There's a lot of players we'll be linked with. Some wide of the mark, some very close and some spot-on. 'He's a player I liked at Southampton, we tried to take him there and it didn't quite happen. 'So, he's a player I like and I think he's a player the recruitment staff like. But, how far that's gone, I'm not too sure.' Asked if the winger fitted the profile of players he is looking for, Martin added: 'He's a really good player. We look at all sorts of different profiles who we think can help the team. It doesn't necessarily have to be the one type of profile. 'Players are very different, we just need players with the right mentality that are desperate to come and play here. We will see where we end up in four weeks' time.' Meanwhile, Rangers midfielder Joe Rothwell is confident the Ibrox side are now in pole position to progress in their Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos. They beat the Greeks 2-0 earlier this week and will travel to Athens in a commanding position for Wednesday's second leg. Rothwell, 30, impressed on his competitive debut, and believes Rangers should fancy their chances of finishing the job. 'I think we have to now, yeah,' he said. 'At 2-0, it's a good scoreline, especially in this format. 'So we'll go out there and obviously we won't be looking to defend it. We'll try to win the game and score as many goals as we can. The win can be huge. 'The manager said in his press conference it was not going to be a season-defining game, but we wanted to put on a show and really show how he wants to do things. 'I think we managed to do that, controlled the game as we like to do and were just a bit disappointed we didn't go and probably kill the game off a little bit more. 'But we can't complain too much. It's a win and we'll take a lead over there next week.' Rangers should have been behind before 19-year-old winger Findlay Curtis opened the scoring in the 52nd minute. After a nervy first half, they had to rely on the brilliance of Jack Butland to make a series of vital saves to keep the game at 0-0. Rothwell, who was signed from Bournemouth in the summer, was impressed by his first taste of a European night at Ibrox. 'Loved it,' he said. 'Obviously you hear stories from the outside but, when you actually get out there and experience it, it's fantastic. 'I'm sure the fans are going to be behind us in every single game and we'll need them. 'There will be times where it might be a bit tough for us, but I'm sure they'll get behind us and then get us over the finish line. 'You can really see what the manager wants us to do and how we want to play. It was obviously another good test for us and we came through it in the end.'
The Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Sun
How England's cute cubs who dreamed of greatness grew up to be proud Lionesses on brink of place in footie immortality
THEY'RE the cute cubs who grew up to be the Lioness pride of England. The girls who once dreamed of greatness now stand on the brink of retaining their Euro crown – and a place in sporting immortality. With all of England backing them, coach Sarina Wiegman and her team face Spain in tomorrow's final in the Swiss city of Basel. The team's never-say-die attitude in Switzerland means it is three finals in a row after their Euros victory in 2022 and their heartbreaking 1-0 World Cup defeat to Spain two years ago. This year they have flirted with disaster several times, going two down to Sweden in the quarter-finals before pulling it back, then winning a nail-biting penalty shoot-out. And against Italy in the semi-final they were seconds from elimination when forward Michelle Agyemang struck deep into stoppage time. Her 96th-minute equaliser took it to extra time before Euros 2022 hero Chloe Kelly grabbed a winner from the penalty spot. Here, as the big match looms, we present our heroines when they were youngsters. GEORGIA STANWAY Midfielder 17 Lionesses celebrate after bonkers Euro 2025 penalty shootout win over Sweden DYNAMO Georgia was on the pitch when she was barely out of nappies. Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, she was playing alongside her three older brothers for Furness Rovers FC from the age of three. The 26-year-old confessed: 'I didn't know what I was doing. I was just kicking the ball, but I loved it. 'When I'd turn up at games, the opposition would be like, 'Ooh, there's a girl playing', but I thrived on it.' 17 Georgia sharpened her skills in Blackburn Rovers' youth system, scoring 31 goals in just 14 games for their Under-17s side. She broke into the senior team in 2015, before making the move to Manchester City at 16. The tattoo fan joined German giants Bayern Munich in July 2022, helping them win three Frauen-Bundesliga titles and a German Cup by the end of the 2024-25 season. Georgia was a key figure in the Lionesses' historic Euro 2022 triumph, scoring the winner against Spain in the quarter-final. HANNAH HAMPTON Goalkeeper 17 BRUMMIE Hannah, 24, is a Euros penalty shootout hero – but doctors once said she'd never play football due to a serious eye condition. Despite surgeries and ongoing depth perception issues, she is at the top of her game. 17 She wowed at Birmingham City and Aston Villa, then moved to Chelsea in 2023, winning back-to-back WSL titles in 2024 and 2025. LEAH WILLIAMSON Defender, Captain 17 ENGLAND captain Leah was a born Gunner and joined Arsenal's Centre of Excellence at just nine years old. Now 28, she joined the club's senior team in 2014 and made her senior England debut in 2018. But after the 2012 London Olympics she almost quit to pursue a career in athletics, inspired by Olympic gold long jumper Greg Rutherford – who, like her, is from Milton Keynes, Bucks. 17 LAUREN HEMP Winger 17 WINGER Lauren joined Norwich City's Centre of Excellence aged eight, but the girls' programme closed down. Undeterred, she went back to the boys' team at North Walsham Youth FC, and says it 'shaped me as the player I am'. Lauren, 24, was snapped up by Manchester City in 2018 and is one of the most feared attackers in the Women's Super League. 17 LUCY BRONZE Defender 17 FORMIDABLE defender Lucy Bronze, 33, began her football journey in Northumberland, enjoying kickabouts with her older brother. She was often the only girl on boys' teams such as Alnwick Town, but was banned from competing alongside the lads aged 12 under FA rules. She has played for Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Lyon, Barcelona and Chelsea. ALESSIA RUSSO Striker 17 ALESSIA, 26, takes after dad Mario – a record goalscorer for Metropolitan Police FC. From Charlton Athletic to Chelsea's development squad and a brief spell at Brighton, she went on to play college soccer in the US before signing for Manchester United in 2020. Joining Arsenal three years later, Alessia helped them win the Women's Super League. 17 BETH MEAD Striker 17 GROWING up in Hinderwell, a tiny village near Whitby, Beth was kicking a ball with the boys from the age of six. Later her mum took a second job to pay for the petrol to take her on a twice-weekly, 45- minute drive to Middlesbrough's centre of excellence. At just 16, Beth – now 30 – made her senior debut for Sunderland, where she bagged 77 goals in 78 games. In 2017 she joined Arsenal, and despite an injury-hit start, she blossomed after taking a wide position. 17 MICHELLE AGYEMANG Striker 17 TEENAGE striker Michelle has become the Lionesses' secret weapon at Euro 2025. The 19-year-old supersub – whose Ghanaian surname means 'saviour of the nation' – has made a stunning impact in the tournament, twice grabbing vital goals after coming off the bench. Born in South Ockendon, Essex, the Arsenal fan was giving the boys a run for their money at her local club, Brandon Groves AFC, at just five years old. Vice-chairman and girls' coach Roy Enright, 45, said: 'It is fantastic to see her progress. 'It is brilliant for the club here and for girls' football generally.' Michelle joined Arsenal's academy at six and has been a Gunner ever since, making her senior debut at just 16 in 2022. She will have to juggle her status as England's latest footie hero with her uni career at King's College London, where she is studying for a business management degree. 17
