Soccer-England honour clubs where players' careers began ahead of Euro 2025
Jun 23, 2025 10:11 PM IST
By Lori Ewing HT Image
MANCHESTER, England, - The England women's Euro 2025 squad were presented with the shirts of their first clubs on Monday in homage to the teams where their careers began and to the coaches and volunteers.
The Lionesses, who begin the defence of their European Championship title next week in Switzerland, were given the surprise at St George's Park where they trained.
The 26 different shirts represented every level from grassroots clubs such as Alnwick Town FC , St Martins AC and Brandon Groves AFC to professional academies at teams such as Villarreal CF and Queens Park Rangers .
Some 150 coaches and current players from the 26 clubs represented were invited to Monday's event.
No two players came from the same club.
"I often say to the squad 'Go back to that young girl who first started playing football, think about the happiness those days provided you,'" England coach Sarina Wiegman said.
"All of the players have had a different journey but their love for the sport will have started at their first club.
"For them to wear the shirt of their first-ever club and to have many people who were key to their development at training is really special."
England will take the shirts to their base camp in Switzerland.
They play Jamaica in a send-off match on Sunday at Leicester's King Power Stadium and then kick off at the Euros on July 5 against France in Group D.
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