Lionesses and leadership: Who will step up in the absence of Bright and Earps?

New York Times

8 hours ago

When England took to the field for the World Cup final two years ago, Millie Bright wore the captain's armband and Mary Earps was her deputy. It seemed improbable at that stage that neither would feature at this summer's European Championship.
Their absences — Bright withdrew from selection, Earps retired shortly before the tournament and another senior player, Fran Kirby, also ended her international career recently — mean England go into the Euros without some of the pivotal figures of the Sarina Wiegman era. They have been key on the pitch but also influential off it.
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The trio have 220 caps between them and are strong personalities. Earps and Bright were vocal figures in the dressing room and adopted big-sister and maternal roles respectively, while Kirby always led by example.
On paper, that may cause some concern but as England attempt to defend their Euros title, the onus will be on others to step up as leaders.
Wiegman is helped in this regard by the fact England are still a vastly experienced squad. The average number of caps per player (40) is more than at the 2023 World Cup (32) and on par with the Euro 2022 squad, while the average team member is only one year younger than those two squads.
Leah Williamson, who led England to Euro 2022 glory and helped guide Arsenal to Champions League success as vice-captain, has been a natural leader. After her first two England camps in charge in September 2021, Wiegman — in the absence of former England captain Steph Houghton — handed Williamson the armband. She missed the World Cup with an anterior cruciate ligament injury but her role as captain was not in doubt.
'Leah is a bit more reserved but when she's speaking, you're really listening,' England team-mate and Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier said at the squad's pre-Euros media day. 'She knows what she's talking about and she's won a lot.'
On the eve of their opening match, Williamson spoke about finding a balance when giving younger players advice.
'I would never want anybody to come and be so anxious it consumed them,' she said. 'But at the same time, there's lots of shiny things when you come to a tournament, lots of experiences to be had, but ultimately the main focus is on the pitch.'
'You have to keep (the debutants) in line a little bit because they get a bit distracted,' she added, speaking from her own experience at her first tournament, the 2019 World Cup. 'But there's no fear of that with these guys.'
Though they do not wear the armband, Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood and Keira Walsh form a core group alongside Williamson — occupying four of England's defensive and deep-lying midfield roles. They are often named by team-mates as key leaders in their own distinct ways. They are the standard-setters on and off the pitch.
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'Keira (Walsh) will lead in performance, wanting to make sure her game is on it, 24/7,' said 26-year-old Georgia Stanway, who was England's youngest outfield player at her first major tournament, the 2019 World Cup. 'She can demand more from other people and also from herself.'
Walsh has learned from her own struggles with, in her words, the 'toxic' world of social media during the World Cup six years ago. Her advice to midfielder Grace Clinton is to enjoy the moment and stay present.
Stanway falls into the standard-setting category, too. Mature beyond her years, she is a grafter, leads by example with her work ethic and raises the levels in training.
'With the team changing, even over the last weeks, a lot of us have had to step up and come into that (leadership) role inevitably,' said Stanway. 'We're both people (Stanway was speaking while sitting alongside Arsenal's Lotte Wubben-Moy) who will communicate on the pitch, give a little bit of s*** here and there if needed, but we also can take it.'
Lucy Bronze is another who wears many leadership hats. On the pitch, she is committed. Off it, she is the younger players' number one phone-a-friend.
'Bronzey speaks to everyone,' said Le Tissier. 'I love her, we get on really well. We always go to her with questions.'
Playing in her seventh consecutive major tournament, Bronze shares her past experiences as well as her daily tips. 'She is one of those people who knows almost everything,' added Aggie Beever-Jones, who is set to make her major tournament debut.
Another assured leader who flies under the radar is Manchester City captain Greenwood. The 31-year-old did not start a single game under Wiegman at Euro 2022 but has always been a consummate professional.
She knows the City players Khiara Keating, Jess Park and Laura Blindkilde Brown (who was on standby) on a personal level but will also seek out others.
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'Alex has always made me feel really comfortable here,' said Lucy Parker, who was also on the standby list. 'She makes a conscious effort to embed you into the group and see how you are.'
Fellow Liverpudlian Missy Bo Kearns, another who was on standby, agreed and added Greenwood holds her to account. 'She's always positive but also honest with me,' said Kearns. 'She will tell me: 'Come on, do this better, do more of this,' pushing me.'
The six Chelsea players — no team is better represented in the squad — will miss their club captain Bright. But the more obvious gap in experience is actually in the goalkeeping department, as shown by the graph below.
Hannah Hampton will be England's No 1 at this tournament but will have support around her. 'On the pitch, I know that if I've got a problem or I've not done something quite right, Alex (Greenwood), Leah (Williamson), Meado (Beth Mead) and Bronzey (Lucy Bronze) will all be there to gather around and help me out.'
When there is a gap, an opportunity naturally arises for others to fill it.
'We all understand the power that speaking and leading by example has,' said Champions League winner Wubben-Moy, who drove the Lionesses' successful campaign for girls to have equal access to football in schools following Euro 2022. 'Let's not forget we all come from clubs where each and every one of us are considered some of the best within that club.'
While it was once Ellen White who was like a mum to Chloe Kelly, now it is Kelly's turn to fulfil that role. 'The conversations — knowing the expectations within our group and being on the pitch with a smile — are really important,' she said.
Lauren Hemp still 'feels like one of the young ones'. Sometimes when Wiegman asks Hemp questions as one of the leaders in a group meeting, the winger is almost surprised: 'Oh yeah, I am that now,' she realises. Many look up to her relentless work ethic. Alessia Russo and Ella Toone, once the fresh faces of Euro 2022 who turned into game-changers, are at their third major tournament.
'We are not old and we are not new,' said Russo, who advises backup striker Beever-Jones. 'We know how things work. There are times we have to step up and feel more confident to do that. We have the experience and the trust of other players and staff.'
England's No 9 is also in charge of team social events with Clinton, bringing the squad together to make stronger bonds. 'That's going to help you with the team morale and get those connections when you're back playing the next day,' said Hampton.
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England's squad have proven winners within it and they have shown they can handle the pressure domestically and on the international stage. 'Now we've got a group of players whose mentality is to win,' said Bronze, pointing to Arsenal's Champions League success, Chelsea's domestic treble and Manchester United's FA Cup finals.
'That's changed over my England career: the mentality of 'actually, we want to win' and doing that consistently.'
At the helm are Wiegman and trusted assistant Arjan Veurink. The pair have an incredible record, with their teams featuring in every final of the past four major tournaments (Euro 2017, 2019 World Cup, Euro 2022 and 2023 World Cup).
Bronze, though, is quite prepared to challenge that leadership.
In the Finalissima against South American champions Brazil in April 2023, the defender told Wiegman to change the order of England's penalty takers at the last minute, bumping Kelly up to fifth. She scored the winning penalty.
Amid the search for leadership, it should be remembered that England entered the World Cup in 2023 without the retired Ellen White and Jill Scott, as well as the injured trio of Williamson, Mead and Kirby. That did not stop them reaching the final and there will be confidence they have what is required to go far in this tournament as well.
There is no question Bright, Earps and Kirby leave a gap — but it should not play on England's minds.