England very optimistic Leah Williamson will be fit for semi-final
Williamson rolled her ankle and left Thursday's contest in the first period of extra-time – after goals from Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang snatched the Lionesses a late 2-2 draw after 90 minutes – before they booked a last-four spot following a dramatic penalty shootout.
Morgan was introduced as part of a 70th-minute triple change and is prepared to play any role for the defending champions in Geneva – including stepping in for the skipper, if necessary.
But, she stressed: 'We are very optimistic that Leah will be available. She seemed in very high spirits this morning, and I want what's best for the team and that's absolutely having our captain on the pitch for us.
'The same as every single game, I'm going to be prepared to play if I'm needed. I'll know the role and just be absolutely ready to train at at high level over the next few days, but we're very optimistic Leah will be fine.'
England boss Sarina Wiegman revealed after the Sweden victory that Williamson would be assessed on Friday, though no further updates were yet provided on the captain's status ahead of what will be England's sixth-consecutive major tournament semi-final.
Williamson was spotted in a boot and using crutches immediately after the match, which was understood to have been a precautionary measure.
Morgan said her mother was 'sobbing' when she came on for her first major tournament appearance, tasked with delivering a now-viral note to Bronze and Williamson she swears she did not read, suspecting it simply contained the formation but joking later on her Instagram account that it read 'save us GOAT', in reference to Bronze.
And that's what the seven-time major tournament veteran ultimately did, when she sent what became England's winning penalty – with their seventh attempt – down the middle, before slamming the ball down in celebration.
'I don't think (how important Bronze is) can be put into words,' said Morgan. 'She's such an incredible leader on this team. We're all inspired by her mentality.
'She's a freak, really. She has so much passion, energy, fire and she infects everyone else with it. That note might as well have said that, because apparently that's what she read on it.'
There was, admitted Morgan, a fleeting moment, when England were 2-0 down at the end of the first half, that she entertained the possibility their campaign could be coming to an end.
'I thought, 'I've not packed anything. My wardrobes are full right now. I've not got anything in my suitcases ready',' added Morgan.
'But I really had a sense throughout the game, even when we were down, that it wasn't our time to go.
'I think sometimes you just have a sense of calm, which, I can't explain why it's there, but just a relief, really, that we're not going to let this happen.
'I always had faith that we were going to be able to turn it around and thankfully that happened.'
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The Guardian
7 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Redemption tales and late-night karaoke: the Lionesses have done it again
Given the number of rakes they'd trodden on, Sideshow Bob-style, without sustaining a fatal handle blow to the face, Football Daily fully expected Sunday's final against Spain to be the match in which an almost supernatural reservoir of good fortune enjoyed by the Lionesses at Euro 2025 finally dried up. Pummelled in their opener against France before stumbling and lurching through the knockout rounds like the world's most tea-timely football email pinballing its way home off a series of lampposts and trees after a lock-in down our local drinker, England surely couldn't pull off another smash-and-grab against a team of world champions who can play football to such an ethereal level it often resembles a completely different sport. And while it looked like our prophecy would come to pass after Mariona Caldentey had put the red-hot favourites in front with a bullet header before the break, it was Spain who got the Basel brush-off and Leah Williamson who hoisted the trophy skywards after spot-kicks to prompt a post-match team pogo that reverberated around England before continuing, accompanied by celebratory champagne, cake and karaoke caterwauling, long into the Swiss night. In her post-match interview, Lucy Bronze revealed she had played the entire tournament with a broken tibia, a knack you could be forgiven for thinking might have ruled lesser mortals out of the competition, but in this particular instance wasn't sufficiently serious to preclude the right-back from participating in all six matches before being forced off in extra-time by some comparatively minor knee-ouch. 'I think that's why I got a lot of praise from the girls after the Sweden game – because I've been through a lot of pain,' she roared. 'But that's what it takes to play for England and that's what I'll do.' Meanwhile, Chloe 'Clutch' Kelly, whose career looked to have hit the skids as recently as January, took pleasure in recounting her own redemption tale after six highly-restorative months. 'If that's a story to tell, [for] someone that maybe experiences something the same: tough times don't last,' she cheered. 'Just around the corner was a [Big Cup] final, won that. Then a Euros final, won that. Thank you to everyone that wrote me off, I'm grateful.' For England fans who had already endured several trips through the wringer, the tough times lasted right until the point Kelly fired her decisive spot-kick past Spain's goalkeeper in a shootout that briefly threatened to eclipse the extraordinary levels of slapstick that prevailed in England's quarter-final against Sweden. For Sarina Wiegman, however, the outcome was never in doub … well, a little in doubt. 'I always think this is the most chaotic and ridiculous tournament we have played,' declared the woman who has now masterminded victory in back-to-back-to-back Euros with the Netherlands and England. 'I actually can't believe it myself. How can this happen? But it happened. I'm so incredibly proud of the team and the staff. We're just going to party tonight!' And party they did, with the TV cameras on hand to capture the obligatory and increasingly common footage of beatifically bleary-eyed Lionesses boarding the coach outside a team hotel whose corridors were still echoing with the sounds of Ella Toone's stirring early-hours rendition of River Deep, Mountain High. After flying home for an official welcome at 10 Downing Street, England's pride of Lionesses will parade along the Mall on an open-top bus on Tuesday lunchtime, when tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of well-wishers are expected to line the famous London boulevard and pay homage to their heroines. The road to Buckingham Palace is one Kelly and Hannah Hampton are expected to make again in January, after it was revealed they could be awarded MBEs in the new year honours list for their services to being 'proper England'. 'I'm in shock. I must apologise for missing my penalty and congratulate England. But we played well. We were the better side, although that's not everything, you have to put it in the net. I'm devastated. The same thing happened to us in [Big Cup] with my club Barça. We were the better team. England weren't getting [forward], but no one is to blame: we win and lose together. It feels so cruel. I think we're the ones who have done the best [in the tournament], who have played the best, and who have the most talent' – a rueful Aitana Bonmatí, player of the tournament, after Spain missed out on the bigger prize. Why oh why do we allow drummers to bash away BANG BANG BANG BANG during football matches? Mindless metronomic drumming in the stands is relentless, intrusive, distracting, and just plain boring. Why would any genuine fan torture the rest of us like this? Also what about drumming's potentially harmful impact on those other drums in the vicinity, ie in the ears of fans seated close by? Let's drum the drummers out of our football stadiums (don't get me going on the trumpeters)' – Mick Beeby. As one of the last of the few remaining born and bred Caulkheads, I can assure Tim Scanlan (Friday's Football Daily letters) that we Isle of Wight natives delight in referring to mainland Britain as the North Island' – Jonathan Banks. Yes, it would appear New Zealand has solved the problem of where the north-south dividing line is (Friday's letters). But not all is as it seems. The Māori word for south is 'runga'. That word also means 'above'. So … in pre-European times, the Māori going from the bottom of the present-day South Island to the top of the present-day North Island would, in fact, be heading south. Yes, that makes my brain hurt too' – Ron Thompson. If you have any, please send letters to Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is … Ron Thompson. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here. The Football Weekly crew reflect on England's European triumph. Catch up with the Lionesses as they celebrate their latest Euros glory. Our picture desk have gone through tens of thousands of images to settle on these as the best photos from Euro 2025. It's been a magnificent 24 hours for Nottingham Forest: not only has Morgan Gibbs-White signed a new three-year contract, leaving Tottenham with an industrial poultry farm's worth of egg on their faces, Forest are now the holders of the José Mourinho Award for Most Shameless Self-Congratulation. 'The deal underlines the ambition of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, whose vision for European success and sustained Premier League progress continues to shape the club's future,' purred a club statement. 'A statement of intent from our owner Evangelos Marinakis,' parped the club's social media disgrace team, in case it needed ladling on a little thicker. Then came a video in which Gibbs-White, flanked by a looming Marinakis, proceeded to namecheck the Greek three times in under 45 seconds, suggesting he was 'the main reason' for the club's success. 'We're very happy,' rumbled Marinakis when it was his turn to take his place in front of the club-branded microphone. 'I would never let anybody from any other team try to get a player from us or make something that we don't agree with.' Cue wild applause and, whatever you do, don't be the first person to stop clapping. England's success has led to increased engagement at grassroots level, with more than a third of the sample of 500 13-18 year old girls surveyed – 36% – now attached to a football club. Nigeria have won Wafcon after staging a remarkable fightback from two goals down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2, picking up a record $1m in prize money (which has doubled since the last tournament). And good news for Harry Kane: Liverpool have agreed to sell Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich in a deal worth up to €75m (£65.5m). 'They thought it was all over. Quite a few times, in fact.' Do read Jonathan Liew at the Euro 2025 final. Who was good and who was bad less good in the Euros final? Sophie Downey's player ratings have the answer. Aitana Bonmatí's sullen walk to collect the player of the tournament award showed there is no joy in personal accolades when your team loses but Spain will be back, writes Nick Ames. Chloe Kelly's early introduction helped change the game for Sarina Wiegman's side. Sophie Downey analyses the tactical shift. 'Proper England' turned up in Basel and Tom Garry explains exactly what it means. Things got a little weepy in Madrid after Spain lost but the growing interest in the women's national team is a victory in itself, as Sam Jones witnessed. England won on the pitch, but who were the victors in the TV studios? John Brewin kept his beady eye on the BBC and ITV coverage. Nick had a natter with Uefa suit Nadine Kessler about the future of the Women's Euros. The women's game is growing across Europe and the playing field is starting to level, according to Philipp Lahm. David Hytner takes a look at Viktor Gyökeres and the man behind the new Arsenal striker's mask. Meanwhile, Miguel Dantas hears from those in Portugal who tried – and generally failed – to keep the Swede quiet at Sporting. Alexander Isak's desire to leave Newcastle for pastures new asks questions of whether, even with Saudi finance, the club can challenge the bigger boys in the game, reckons Jonathan Wilson. And it's been a busy summer for business between the Bundesliga and Premier League. Eze Obasi goes back through those who have made the switch. Ten years ago in July 2015, the England Women's team rock up to meet PM David Cameron at Downing Street for a reception after their third-place finish at the World Cup in Canada. The shindig came shortly after that post on Social Media Disgrace Twitter from the FA. 'It's nice to hear that we have been an inspiration to people – that was always our objective but I don't know if we thought we could achieve it to this extent,' declared Karen Carney.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton 'in line for MBEs' after penalty shoot-out heroics in England's Euro 2025 triumph
Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are reportedly the leading candidates to secure honours following their roles in England 's Euro 2025 triumph. The Lionesses retained their European crown in thrilling fashion on Sunday, with Sarina Wiegman 's side winning 3-1 on penalties against Spain after a 1-1 draw between the rivals. Hampton, who usurped Mary Earps as England's No 1 before the tournament, produced two crucial saves in the shoot-out. Her heroics gave Kelly the chance to seal victory, with the winger comfortably converting her penalty to spark wild celebrations. According to the Guardian, Hampton and Kelly have already been lined up as possible contenders to receive MBEs in the New Years Honours list. Four England stars were honoured when the Lionesses lifted the trophy back in 2022, with Kelly missing out despite scoring the winning goal in the final. England captain Leah Williamson received an OBE following the triumph, with Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead and Ellen White becoming MBEs. Further honours were bestowed when England reached the World Cup final in 2023, where they were eventually beaten by Spain. Mille Bright, who captained England in Williamson's absence, was awarded an OBE. Earps and Lauren Hemp secured MBEs for their performances which helped England to finish as runners-up. In addition to their role in the shoot-out success, Kelly and Hampton were key throughout the tournament. Hampton has earned praise for being arguably England's most consistent performer during the campaign, with the Chelsea shot-stopper also making two saves in the quarter-final penalty shoot-out win over Sweden. Despite not starting a match in the competition, Arsenal winger Kelly made a telling contribution from the bench. Kelly delivered an assist as England fought back from 2-0 against Sweden in the last eight, while she scored the 119th minute winner against Italy in the semi-finals. She then turned provider again in the final for Alessia Russo's equaliser, after being introduced as a first half substitute in place of the injured Lauren James. According to the report, England captain Williamson's current OBE could be upgraded to a CBE. It follows Williamson leading England to success Euros triumphs, as well as being the first to captain the nation to a title in an overseas football tournament at senior level. England boss Wiegman is expected to receive an honorary damehood after becoming the first coach of the national team to secure two major honours. The Dutch manager was reported to be set for an honorary damehood two years ago before the Lionesses' suffered an agonising defeat in the World Cup final to Spain. After England won Euro 2022, the 55-year-old was made CBE on the UK's overseas list with the permission of the Dutch government. She was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau for leading her native Netherlands to Euro 2017, which she followed up by reaching the final of the 2019 World Cup.
Scottish Sun
7 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Bitter Spanish press slam Chloe Kelly's ‘cocky' celebration as stars moan they were much BETTER than ‘lucky' England
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Spanish media have blasted England Women and labelled Chloe Kelly as "cocky" in a bitter attack on the Euro 2025 winners. The Lionesses were crowned European champions for the second time in a row on Sunday, defeating Spain 3-1 on penalties after it ended 1-1 after extra time. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Spanish media has hit out at the Lionesses Credit: GETTY 4 They lost on penalties to England Credit: AP 4 The Lionesses became back-to-back European champions on Sunday Credit: EPA 4 Hero Kelly has triggered the Spanish press Credit: Getty Play Dream Team now! Play The Sun Dream Team ahead of the 2025/26 season Free to play Over £100,000 in total prize money Play in Mini Leagues against your mates Submit a team for Gameweek 1 to enter £5,000 prize draw Play via Dream Team's app or website today! But despite Sarina Wiegman's side's impressive performance that saw them battle from being 1-0 down in the first half to fighting back through an Alessia Russo equaliser and much-improved penalties, Spain's media think England "robbed" La Roja in Basel. And there are reports of Spain players allegedly labeling England as "time wasters". Spanish outlet Diario AS fired a shot atwinning penalty taker Chloe Kelly and her "cocky" gesture after her spot kick, which saw her coolly point a finger at the crowd. The Spanish outlet wrote: "This is unnecessary, my friend: Kelly's cocky gesture to [goalkeeper] Cata Coll after scoring the decisive penalty. read more on euro 2025 BANK ON IT No10 shares if there is a Bank Holiday after England win the Women's Euros 2025 "The England specialist changed her run during her penalty celebration to get past the goalkeeper she had just beaten." In their match report, the outlet said: "The dream ends in a nightmare. "Spain lost the European Championship on penalties. England tied a match that Spain largely dominated. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "History is made by victories, and also by defeats. Spain fell in the Euro Cup final but left its name sealed in gold. "England robbed them of their dream; the world champions couldn't close the circle they began to write two years ago in Sydney. Inside Lionesses' boozy Euro 2025 celebrations as stars party with pizzas, beers and loved ones after win over Spain "They couldn't have been crueler in the penalty shootout, tossing a few dice in the air." 2023 World Cup winners Spain's players labelled England as "lucky" in their post-match interviews. Captain Irene Paredes told Spanish TV RTVE: "I don't really know what to say. It's a very hard moment. "We tried everything, all the different ways, and then the penalties didn't go our way. I thought we deserved it more but in the end it is not about who deserves it. "It is about having that bit of luck and England had that throughout the whole tournament. We thought we could overcome that but we weren't able to. "I think we had more control of the game than they did, we created more clear chances, we had more possession… But yeah, nothing else." Meanwhile, two-time reigning Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati thought her side were "far superior". Bonmati, who missed her penalty in the shoot out, told Spainsh outlet El Pais: "I think we've all given up. It's been a long time here, and it's been very cruel. "In terms of play, we were far superior to our opponents, but in football, that's not enough." She added: "To be a winning team in a tournament like this, you have to have some luck, and they had plenty of luck. "We know how to do it better when it comes to penalties." El Pais claim that Paredes later labelled England as "time-wasters" and "players on the ground" in comments to reporters in the mixed zone of the St Jakob-Park in Basel. England were leading in just four minutes of all of their knockout games but defied all odds to go back-to-back. Mariona Caldentey's first half header was cancelled out by Alessia Russo in the 57th minute, with the score locked all the way to the end of extra time. England's Hannah Hampton - who has done a remarkable job of stepping into ex-Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earp's shoes following her retirement - saved two of Spain's penalties, including Bonmati's. Euro 2022 winning goalscorer Kelly hammered her spot kick into the top left hand corner to avenge her side's World Cup 2023 defeat to Spain and seal victory for her country.
