How the England Lionesses' turbulent week ended in triumph... and raised hope of more Euro glory this summer, writes TARA ANSON-WALSH
As major tournament preparations go, England 's build-up to this summer's European Championship has been anything but conventional.
To say the last week has been a turbulent one for England head coach Sarina Wiegman would be an understatement. Aside from the news dominating the headlines — the sudden retirement of fan-favourite Mary Earps — Wiegman was dealt another blow with the withdrawal of Millie Bright from the squad.
The centre-back, who captained England to the World Cup final in Australia two years ago, described on a podcast how she was 'mentally and physically' at her limits.
Speaking to former Lioness Rachel Daly, Bright said: 'That is a really hard decision but I think you know better than anyone — sometimes you just have to take that time for yourself. You need to value your mental health and body, and just say that no, right now is not the time for you.'
Pressed on whether she can expect the Chelsea captain — who partners Leah Williamson at the heart of the defence — back for the Euros, Wiegman said: 'We'll stay in contact and I hope she feels better soon, but I don't know that at the moment.'
The absence of Earps and Bright from the dressing room leaves a leadership vacuum and there are doubts over other key Lionesses. Lauren James is yet to return after pulling up with a hamstring injury a month ago, while Georgia Stanway, who hadn't played since last December, remains a balancing act. The midfielder came on for the last 15 minutes against Portugal on Friday, but it remains to be seen how her knee responds.
Ella Toone and Alessia Russo missed the game with calf injuries, though Wiegman said these were 'not long-term' issues.
The Dutch coach dislikes anyone on the outside getting wind of an upset within her walls but she could not silence the noise surrounding Earps's shock withdrawal, no matter how skilfully she batted off questions about her team's unity by reiterating 'we must move on'.
While Portugal have routinely fallen short on the international stage, they are a team who have often been a thorn in England's side — eking out draws in their last two meetings in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup and more recently in the Nations League.
So the Lionesses' six-goal victory — with only two games to go before they begin their Euros defence — served as a powerful statement of intent. With Wiegman due to name her Euros squad on Thursday, the players' focus quickly returned to how they would best book a seat on the plane to Switzerland.
Youngsters Grace Clinton, Jess Park, and Aggie Beever-Jones capitalised on the extended absences of some of Wiegman's stalwarts. While it was 21-year-old Beever-Jones' hat-trick that stole the show, Clinton, 22, and Park, 23, showed again that they belong in this team. Clinton, the Manchester United central midfielder, worked relentlessly between the boxes and proved useful defensive cover.
Manchester City's Park showed her physicality at No 10, fending off Dolores Silva before picking out the perfect pass for Beth Mead to run on to and score England's fourth.
Responding to a question about how the off-pitch drama may have affected the team's mentality, Clinton appeared unfazed, saying: 'The off-pitch stuff is sad and sometimes people feel it more than others. We are all professionals here and when we do step on the pitch, we all know we've got a job to do and it's good that we've done it tonight.'
Four different goalscorers and a hat-trick on her Wembley debut for Beever-Jones was certainly one way of changing the narrative.
Up next are world champions Spain, where a victory will put an end to any concerns that these Lionesses have let the last week get to their heads before another monumental summer.
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