‘We're never beaten': Esme Morgan talks up England's mental toughness at Euros
The Lionesses defender, who came on as one of three changes in the 70th minute, insists that at no point did she think the holders would be knocked out of the tournament despite being 2-0 down.
'I really had a sense throughout the game, even when we were down, that it wasn't our time to go,' she said. 'Sometimes you just have a sense of calm, which you can't explain, of belief that we're not going to let this happen. I always had faith.'
Besides Morgan, Sarina Wiegman was able to bring on Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Grace Clinton, Niamh Charles and Michelle Agyemang, who scored England's equaliser. Their efforts helped book a last-four spot against Italy on Tuesday, after a penalty shootout.
Morgan added: 'The depth we have in the squad is such an incredible thing for us to be able to fall back on through this tournament. That's something we're going to continue to rely on. When all of us sat down on the bench for the second half it was just: 'Be ready to come on and change the game' – and all of us were. We've just got such amazing character, grit and determination within the group that we're never beaten.'
Morgan's own substitute appearance was her major tournament debut, and she was thrilled that her mother was there to witness it. 'It was really, really special,' the 24-year-old said. 'Apparently my mum was sobbing when I came on, bless her. It was just really nice to get that opportunity. I have been working hard throughout the tournament to stay prepared if I was called on.'
Of the 19-year-old Agyemang, who scored her second international goal on only her third cap, Morgan said: 'I'm so proud of the impact she's been able to make. That's twice now she's stepped up in pressure situations. She's someone that we know we can turn to in stressful moments to be a presence, holding the ball up and linking play, making runs in behind.
'She's just so chilled and positive all the time, and ready to take her opportunity. She's such a hard worker in training and so you know that in those moments she's absolutely ready to come on and make an impact, which is exactly what she did, just getting in great positions around the box. She's proven all the times that she's come on that she's ready to go and make an impact when we need it.'
England were also grateful to two decisive crosses from the winger Kelly. 'She's an incredible player,' said Morgan. 'She's been training amazingly in the last few days, scoring a lot of goals, so she was high on confidence coming into that game. She seems to thrive on those moments when the team needs her to pull a performance out of the bag. When I saw her cut in, I just knew she was going to land it on someone's head.
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'She had a decisive penalty as well and under that pressure, there is nobody I'd rather have in that position. She is so reliable and so composed and calm. She said afterwards she made eye contact with the goalkeeper and they were smirking so she just started laughing. I just think the composure in that moment, to be so free and confident, and just laugh, just shows what a brilliant player she is for stepping up.'
Wiegman must now decide for Tuesday's semi-final which of her 'finishers' should start in Geneva.
Leah Williamson rolled her ankle and left Thursday's contest in the first period of extra time but Morgan said England were very optimistic that the captain would be fit enough to face Italy. Whether Morgan plays alongside her from the start is one for the head coach to ponder.
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BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Not just a flash in the pan' - Lionesses' legacy
When England won the European Championship in 2022 it was a watershed moment for women's football in the attendances skyrocketed, investment grew and media coverage after England triumphed in Switzerland on Sunday to retain their European crown following a dramatic penalty shootout against Spain, England manager Sarina Wiegman said: "We're not there yet."The legacy of Euro 2022 - England's first major women's trophy - will be difficult to surpass in its importance to the growth of women's that of Euro 2025 - a first major trophy won on foreign soil and the first time an English senior team has retained a title - could prove crucial in further cementing the game's place in Leah Williamson, speaking before Sunday's final, said: "You don't want to be a flash in the pan, a memory, and when we spoke before 2022 we said it was the start of something."We are still trying to play our role in that. We know how powerful that is. I hope it continues to grow, the respect for women's football, the respect for women and women's sport in general - we can try our best to elevate that." Lionesses success = women's football success Success for the Lionesses translates as success for the women's game in the Euro 2022 victory, interest in the domestic game piqued with every Women's Super League club seeing increased attendances the following season. A similar spike was felt after the 2023 World Cup, where England lost to Spain in the that were home to high-profile Lionesses drew the biggest crowds, with Arsenal attracting the most and setting a new WSL attendance record of 47,367 in their first home game at Emirates Stadium Gunners have gone on to break the WSL attendance record another three times, but last season average attendances dropped by 10% compared with the previous the first time in three years the WSL did not benefit from taking place after an international tournament where there had been home success after Great Britain failed to qualify for the Olympics. It is not just attendances that spiked following Euro 2022. Here are some other significant developments:In 2024, the Football Association (FA) revealed that in the previous four years 129,000 more girls became involved in schools football across the host cities of Euro 2022, while almost 1,500 new female football teams September 2024, a new deal worth £45m was agreed for Barclays to continue as the title sponsor for the WSL. Worth in the region of £15m a year, this stood at double the previous October 2024, a new WSL broadcast deal with the BBC and Sky Sports was agreed, which runs through to 2030. The money generated from these rights is shared between WSL for WSL clubs soared by 34% during a record-breaking 2023-24 season, with each club generating more than £1m for the first transfer fees in the WSL have increased, with Chelsea and Arsenal twice breaking the world record in the past six months - with the latter making Olivia Smith the first player to cost more than £1m. How did the Lionesses use their profile in 2022? The players have never shied away from their role in advocating for positive change for women and girls' hours after winning Euro 2022, England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy spearheaded an ultimately successful campaign in which the Lionesses' squad wrote an open letter to the then-government demanding equal access to school football for governments have since turned her words into action and on Monday ministers announced plans to double the amount of time women's and girls' football teams get allocated at government-funded sports facilities."These girls are constantly using their voice for change," said former England striker Ellen White."Wanting to inspire a nation and wanting to gain more opportunities for young people and young girls. They're so inspiring - they want to make change. They are perfect role models."They have shown they are not afraid of speaking out on causes they believe in. Williamson, who wears a rainbow armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights when playing for England, previously said it was "rubbish" to tell players to "stick to football" and avoid politics before the men's World Cup in the last Women's World Cup, former Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps called out Nike for failing to sell England women's goalkeeper shirts, which led to the sportswear giant making a Euro 2025, after defender Jess Carter was subjected to online racist abuse, the Lionesses decided they would no longer take the knee before games as they did not feel it was having enough impact. "[It is] clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism," they said in a or lose, the Lionesses feel a sense of responsibility for women's football and frequently talk about inspiring the next generation of young boys and girls to after celebrating with fans in central London, Williamson said: "Everything we do, we do it for us and our team but we do it for the country and young girls."This job never existed 30 or 40 years ago and we're making history every single step. Stay with us, this story is not done yet." What impact could Euro 2025 win have? While the legacy of Euro 2022 is clear, everyone involved in women's football knows there is still a long way to go."This is another massive ignition moment," said Nikki Doucet - the chief executive of WSL Football, which has taken over responsibility of the WSL and the WSL 2 this season."In some ways I think we're even more set up to capitalise on this opportunity now that we have the independent company set up - it's our job to take the inspiration and run with it as fast and hard as we can."Most WSL clubs are reliant on financial support from a men's team, although London City Lionesses will become the first team with no affiliation with a men's club to play in the women's top flight this the top flight, clubs' positions are much more precarious. Blackburn became the latest example as they decided to withdraw from the second tier, now WSL 2, for this season as they could not meet the financial and operational requirements of the summer Reading, who were in the WSL as recently as two years ago, decided to withdraw from the second tier and drop to the fifth because of financial chief executive Mark Bullingham said the WSL was on a "good trajectory" and success at Euro 2025 will "turbo-charge" that along with plans for grassroots growth."We want to get to the point where you know we should have the same number of girls and women playing football as boys and men, and until we've done that we've got a job to do," he director of women's football, Sue Day, agreed there was much more to be done for women's football in England."We want more matches on the TV, we want more opportunities for fans to be able to get involved, we want more money to be able to pay the players with, we want more kids playing in schools," she told Radio 4's Today programme."So we have to really capture this moment and turn it into everything we all want football to be for girls."The England team have already shown in the aftermath of their latest triumph that they will continue to make their voices at a reception at Downing Street on Monday, manager Wiegman said: "We need some more investment. We're not there yet."In England we're up there but England needs to stay the trailblazer, it needs to be the big example - the players first but also the Football Association, the clubs, the government, the country, the fans. Let's keep being the trailblazers."And the players are already planning their next Georgia Stanway said: "The point is now we don't have to keep winning to create a legacy and create change… but the fact that we win, it opens the doors so much more, gives us so much more opportunity to make change."We'll discuss as a player group what it will look like over the next few weeks and what we want to go into. But this is a massive door for us to step into."
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Euro 2025: our writers hand out their awards from the tournament
England seemed to have lost it once, twice, three times against Sweden on a night of nail-shredding drama that sharpened the sense that destiny had rich bounty in store for Sarina Wiegman's side. It was also the first match, no doubt of many over the coming years, that made a hero of Michelle Agyemang. Nick Ames The final between England and Spain was exactly what I expected from two heavyweights of the game. It was a gladiatorial tactical battle between Spain's possession-loving football and England's defensive diligence. A fitting ending to a brilliant tournament. Sophie Downey France and Germany's quarter-final in Basel, which the Germans won 6-5 in a high-quality penalty shootout, provided compelling drama from start to finish and it was a game that had it all; a mindless red card, disallowed goals, VAR drama and the best save I can ever recall seeing live as Ann-Katrin Berger seemed to defy physics to claw the ball off the line. Ultimately it was a match that saw Germany doggedly progress despite playing 107 minutes of the game with 10 players. It was a remarkable knockout tie. Tom Garry Sweden 2-2 England. That game had just about everything. The prospect of an England comeback felt almost impossible approaching the 80th minute, but within a matter of seconds you just knew that they were going to do it. The drama! Emillia Hawkins Sweden 2-2 England. Everyone will remember the stirring England comeback and the dramatic penalty shootout but this is a game that also deserves to be remembered for Sweden's devastating opening burst, a standard of pulsating attacking football that stands with any produced at this tournament. Jonathan Liew France v Germany. This game had everything. A red card, a penalty, resolute German defending, THAT Ann-Katrin Berger save and a penalty shootout. The fact Germany were the first team at a women's Euros to progress after going down to 10 players showed just how hard they worked. Berger also put in some great saves during the shootout – goalkeeper of the tournament for me. Sarah Rendell It has to be the final doesn't it? England's rollercoaster ride of a tournament concluded in a thrilling showpiece between magical world champions Spain and the Euro holders. It was the final everyone wanted and it delivered. England were battlers, tactically astute and disciplined, Spain were Spain, master technicians on the ball. Suzanne Wrack Hannah Hampton was little known to the wider public a month ago and had replaced a national treasure in Mary Earps between the posts. She left Switzerland having earned the same status by producing exceptional performances of which multiple penalty saves were only part. Calm, composed on the ball and with cat-like reflexes, Hampton deserves every credit. NA Michelle Agyemang. What a player. The 19-year-old was given an opportunity and seized it with both hands. The way she impacted games caught the eye but equally the way she came on in high pressure situations and handled them without panic. Will surely be a star for England for years to come. SD Chloe Kelly made a gamechanging impact in all three of England's knockout ties and therefore has to win this, in my eyes, although the best technical footballer was Aitana Bonmatí. Kelly came up clutch in the big moments, whether it was with her two lethal crosses to create England's two quickfire goals in their comeback against Sweden, or her lively performance and late winner against Italy, or her assist for England's equaliser in the final followed by her nerveless, title-clinching penalty. TG Aitana Bonmatí. It's crazy to think that she was hospitalised with viral meningitis just days before Euro 2025 started. Another great tournament for the midfielder despite the penalty miss at the end. EH Patri Guijarro has been the standout player for Spain at this tournament, the one who makes everything work: absorbing pressure, providing an outlet in buildup, creating space, creating angles and snuffing out counterattacks. JL Honourable mentions must go to Klara Bühl and Iman Beney who were incredible but for me it has to be Lucy Bronze. The defender started every game and played 598 minutes for England in total and the performances, particularly her leadership and skill against Sweden, were crucial to the Lionesses retaining the trophy. The fact she did all that with a fractured tibia is unbelievable and she once again lived up to one of her middle names: 'Tough'. SR Aitana Bonmatí may have scooped player of the tournament but, for me, it was her midfield companion Patri Guijarro that deserves all the plaudits. She became the second player on record, since the 2011 World Cup, to have completed 100-plus passes and won possession more than 10 times in a knockout stage game at a major tournament – after the Denmark great Katrine Pedersen. SW We can quibble over Ann-Katrin Berger's positioning all we like, but for sheer did-she-really-try-that at such a knife-edge point in Spain's semi-final against Germany, the winner from Aitana Bonmatí stands above them all. NA Cristiana Girelli's wonder strike against Portugal. The 35-year-old always delivers for Italy and did so in spectacular fashion on this occasion. SD Clàudia Pina's curler into the top corner against Belgium takes this for me, although her near-identical finish against Switzerland in the quarter-final was almost equally worthy. We should also throw more praise at Vivianne Miedema's strike against Wales and Lauren James' superb first-half goal against the Netherlands. TG Lauren James v Netherlands. Not necessarily just because of the strike – which was great in itself – but also because of the buildup. That long pass from Hannah Hampton through to Alessia Russo in attack was absolutely exquisite. EH Vivianne Miedema v Wales. Not just the screaming finish into the top corner from distance, but the quick feet and clever body feints to create the space for herself. JL Clàudia Pina had a fine tournament and her goal against Belgium was an absolute stunner. It was similar to the rocket she scored against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final. A sensational strike from outside the box. SR There may have been prettier goals this tournament but the context of Michelle Agyemang's equaliser against Italy made it all the more remarkable. At just 19 years old, with less than a minute left of added time and with England 1-0 down and facing an exit from the tournament, the coolness with which the Arsenal forward scored through the legs of both a defender and the keeper was stunning. The celebrations also birthed one of the photos of the tournament, Girls on the Ball's Rachel O'Sullivan's renaissance-painting-esque shot capturing the celebrations of the bench and players' families. SW I loved being present in Geneva, where the best and loudest atmospheres materialised, for Switzerland's dramatic draw with Finland. The roof blew off when Riola Xhemaili equalised, sending the hosts through to the last eight, and it felt like a genuinely transformational moment in the country's relationship with women's football. NA Obviously, England lifting the trophy but I feel incredibly lucky to get to work major tournaments with some of the best in the business. The way we all pulled together to help each other this last month is what it is all about. SD When Riola Xhemaili scored a 92nd-minute goal to send Switzerland into the knockout stages, I was watching the action on a screen that evidently had around a 10-second delay compared to other televisions, and therefore hearing the roar – before actually seeing the goal myself – of noise and cheers echoing all around the streets of Zurich, as an entire city was glued to the game and celebrating joyously, was a sound I'll never forget. That was the moment I fully appreciated how emotionally-invested the host nation had become into their women's football team, which was really heartening. TG Michelle Agyemang's goal v Italy. From the verge of heartbreak to absolute ecstasy. The fact a 19-year-old kept England's hopes alive on just her fourth appearance for the senior team, four years after she was a ball girl, is incredible. EH Getting recognised by Ellen White's husband at half-time during the final. Happy to report Ellen and Callum are both avid Guardian readers. JL Michelle Agyemang became a star overnight with her equaliser against Sweden but the fact she did it again against Italy was quite something. The roar when she was shown on the big screen getting ready to come on in the final shows what she already means to England fans. A special summer for a special player. SR The interaction with the players. Many of them know that some of us have been on this journey with them for a very long time. It's been an incredible privilege to tell their stories and this tournament had stories in abundance. The jokes, the looks, the interviews. They are a very likeable group. SW Resource and attention need to be concentrated on countries that risk being left behind. England, Germany, France and Spain – for all their specific local issues – are going to be just fine. It is time to make sure clubs and national teams outside the leading pack are equipped to develop in both sporting and economic terms: 'The head must not leave the body', as a number of top Uefa executives are fond of saying. NA Just more of everything. More investment, more coverage, more fans, more viewership. The sky is the limit at the moment. SD The next Euros in 2029 needs to feature larger stadiums to try to surpass a million spectators, and there are some strong contenders with Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal and a joint Denmark-Sweden bid all in the running. In England, the challenge now has to be to improve the grassroots facilities for girls and women across the country and make sure the huge influx of young girls who have taken up the sport in the past few years can be retained within the sport into their teenage years and adult lives, for a long-lasting legacy. Lastly, the Women's Super League needs to capitalise on the national team's success by reversing last season's decline in average attendances. TG It's been fantastic to see how Switzerland as a nation has embraced women's football this summer. Hopefully we see the same with other nations. Given the success of the Lionesses once again this year it would also be great to see a steady increase in TV viewing figures and attendances across England. EH This is a thornier question than it appears. Huge levels of interest at big events do not necessarily translate to mass appeal at domestic or grassroots level. But as long as the funding is there (and fairly distributed), and as long as the institutional will to grow the game remains (looking at you, Jim Ratcliffe and Daniel Levy), we can anticipate another few years of cautious, optimistic growth. JL Hopefully this Euros win will see attendances in the WSL rise again and for other leagues across Europe to reap the same reward with most teams impressing one way or another at the tournament. But the next step now is to focus on and celebrate the football and the players. This Euros win for the Lionesses felt like it was all about the football rather than having to prove something to others. SR The sky's the limit. The impact of the win in 2022 was evident in the support for England this time round. That will be elevated again. This team has changed the face of women's football and society for the better. Their platform is bigger than ever and there can be little doubt that they will take full advantage of that increased authority to challenge things and fight for more for women and girls. SW
Times
4 hours ago
- Times
Sarina Wiegman boogies to Burna Boy at England Euros parade in London
Of all of England's remarkable achievements of the past month, Sarina Wiegman dancing to afrobeats on stage in front of 65,000 people may be the most extraordinary. This episode was the highlight of England's parade for the Euro 2025 trophy, which made the equivalent event in 2022 feel like small fry. Starting along The Mall, concluding in front of Buckingham Palace and watched by an exultant crowd, this was a final, emphatic symbol that this team has the nation fawning. Three years ago England marked their first Euros title with a ceremony in Trafalgar Square. While the mood was euphoric and emotional, the occasion felt a little underwhelming and as if it had been thrown together at the last minute. Held the day after England had won the final in front of 87,192 people at Wembley, the celebration attracted 7,000 fans. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Yet on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after England had won their second successive Euros title by toppling Spain in Switzerland, the team enjoyed a massive, spectacular and at times surreal parade. Several fans defied police instructions by climbing over fences for better vantage points. Unlike in 2022, when supporters were generally happy to offer mellow congratulations, spectators were immersed in Lionesses mania. Most importantly, the 2025 version had Wiegman's dance moves. She initially cut a reserved, cerebral figure after becoming England's head coach in 2021, and remained relatively restrained throughout the Euro 2022 triumph. She has since gradually let her guard down, and showed more emotion than ever during England's thrilling run to Euro 2025 glory. Yet even her animated approach in Switzerland had prepared no one for the scenes on Tuesday. First, two bits of context. In a press conference in November 2023, Wiegman admitted that her favourite song was For My Hand by Burna Boy, featuring Ed Sheeran. During Euro 2025 she occasionally broke out into a dance to celebrate England's dramatic victories. The outcome? Burna Boy surprising Wiegman during the parade, of course. The singer emerged just after Wiegman had been interviewed, prompting an expression of shock from the usually calm and collected coach. Before anyone could quite process what was happening, Wiegman was unveiling her dance moves while her players cheered her on from behind. This was a trivial moment with a meaningful undertone. Wiegman has been perceived as a stern, blunt Dutchwoman who is brilliant at winning football matches but not exactly much fun at a party. However, as she displayed some rather nifty footwork, it was clear that she knows how to enjoy herself too. Some supporters will never accept a foreigner leading the national team but, if any coach can become an honorary Englishwoman, it is Wiegman. She has delivered unprecedented success and is now sufficiently beloved by the country to feel comfortable making herself look silly in front of an enormous audience. There were other memorable moments from the parade. A tearful Leah Williamson could barely talk as she looked down The Mall. Lucy Bronze at least acted the most hungover. Chloe Kelly was unsurprisingly the one to drop the f-bomb. Heather Small made a late cameo to sing Proud. There was room for the profound too, as the Euros trophy was brought on to the stage by Kerry Davis, the Lionesses's first black player. Nevertheless, Wiegman stole the show. She is a prodigious tactician, empathetic woman-manager and, as the parade revealed, a goofy dancer. Right now, it is impossible not to love her.
