Latest news with #MichelleAgyemang
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
England ace Michelle Agyemang insists ‘there is more to come from her' with the Lionesses
SURREAL is how Michelle Agyemang described her emergence as a senior England international this year. Last month the versatile Arsenal striker, 19, showed why Gunners and England legend Kelly Smith sees her as one of the club's "fearless" rising stars. 5 5 5 5 Less than a minute into her senior debut, the England ace let fly with a stunning volley that found its targets in a Nations League duel with Belgium. While the Lionesses fell to a 3-2 away loss in that game on April 4 Agyemang's 16-minute cameo underlined why her rise through England's ranks has been rapid. After scoring a hat-trick in a 10-0 demolition of Lithuania in the Women's Under-19 Championship last July, the striker moved up to England's Under-23s two months later. And just two months after scoring a brace against Germany in a friendly for the side, she received first call-up into Sarina Wiegman's England squad. Of her emergence as a senior international player, Agyemang said: "I'm a person of few words, so I'm struggling already. "I think it's 'surreal', like, just the manner in which it happened. "There are so many more things to come and I'm just really grateful for the opportunity." Agyemang's appearance in England's last Nations League outing came at a time of the team contending with injuries to Alessia Russo and Lauren James. Forward Lauren Hemp, now back in the squad after her comeback from injury, was also yet to return to match action for her club Manchester City. With the trio out, Wiegman opted to bring in Agyemang who impressed during her loan spell at Brighton from Arsenal last season, as well for the young Lionesses. Reflecting on her first call-up and being in England's squad this month, she added: "When I got the phone-call [from Sarina when I was] just literally coming out of the shower, "It was unexpected, but I'm really grateful that she's put the trust in me to come in and show what I can do for a longer period of time. "It was amazing to get that call and to be here again. "My family has been so supportive. When I was telling them my mum was screaming, my dad was shouting as well and then my friends as well." Playing across three different age groups for England within 11 months does not phase Agyemang. The player who grew up in Southend, Essex and whose club journey with Arsenal began in their academy at six, is determined to deliver no matter which Lionesses side she plays for. Agyemang said: "Wherever I am (in whichever England team) it's about just going out there, helping the team prepare and winning the trophy. "We still have the Under- 19's Euros coming up (in June) as well as the senior Euros "It's been interesting going through the different age groups, meeting different players and coaches. "But I think the England pathway is so similar across the board so it's really easy to settle in no matter where I am." Against Portugal at 7:45pm tonight Agyemang hopes to get another chance to make her mark and help England return to winning ways in the Nations League. Should Spain lose to Belgium, a defeat of their opponents at Wembley would see Wiegman's side return to the top of their group. Agyemang's last experience of being near Wembley's pitch was during England's 4-0 defeat of Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier in October 2021. She said: "I was 15 and was a ball girl. They had a few of the girls from (England's) pathway there. Beth Mead scored (a hat-trick)." Tonight's game will provide a chance for Agyemang to continue to impress with the striker targeting a place in Sarina Wiegman's squad for this year's Euros. In Switzerland on July 5 the Lionesses will begin their push to win the tournament for a second time with a group stage clash with France. 5 And Agyemang hopes to be among the players included in Wiegman's 26-strong group. The Arsenal starlet added: "I like to take things one at a time. "Coming here (to England's camp), showing what I can do in order to maybe get on that plane is my first thought right now."
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Michelle Agyemang's journey from Wembley ballgirl to England scorer
The rapid acceleration of Michelle Agyemang's young career is summed up in one striking revelation towards the end of her first sitdown with reporters at the national football centre: barely three and a half years ago, she was a ballgirl at Wembley for the Lionesses' 4-0 victory over Northern Ireland, which was Sarina Wiegman's first Wembley outing as England head coach. On Friday, the 19-year-old could be running out for her country under the famous arch against Portugal, after bursting into late contention for a place at July's European Championship. Back in October 2021, a 14-minute hat-trick from substitute Beth Mead, the first woman to score a Wembley hat-trick for the Lionesses, made it an unforgettable day for Agyemang, who was then aged just 15. Fast forward to April 2025 and it was the Arsenal youngster who was making an immediate impact off the bench, scoring on her senior England debut with a top-class strike in Belgium. England ultimately still lost that game in Leuven 3-2 but Agyemang's stunning cameo was more than enough to earn her another callup to Wiegman's squad for their Women's Nations League meetings with Portugal and Spain. The teenager said: 'It was amazing to get that call and to be here again. My family is so supportive. When I was telling them my mum was screaming, my dad was shouting as well and then my friends. I'm really grateful that she [Wiegman] has put the trust in me to come in here again and show what I can do for a longer period of time.' Her first callup had come midway through the April international break after her fellow Arsenal striker Alessia Russo withdrew with a knock and Agyemang – who was already on international duty with England's Under-19s – was suddenly flying to Belgium. 'To come on, make my debut and score [in Belgium] was out of this world,' she said. 'All I remember is the cross in from Leah [Williamson]. It was such a surreal moment and I'm so grateful for it. There are so many more things to come and I'm just really grateful, once again, for the opportunity.' The England defender Jess Carter poured praise on Agyemang when speaking this week, saying: 'We try and encourage the youngsters to just be themselves. They are here because they've earned the right just the same way everybody else has. Look at Michelle, she got called up [at the] last second in the last camp, she's got an absolute worldie and she's earned the right to be here again. Michelle is a perfect example of why we want the younger generation to be up here and what they can deliver.' When England were delivering by winning the Euros in 2022, Agyemang was watching from home. Since then she has had loan spells with Watford and – this season – with Brighton, scoring three Women's Super League goals and two more in domestic cups for the Sussex club. Then last Saturday she was in Lisbon with Arsenal as a non-playing member of their group, inside the stadium, watching first-hand as the north London club won their first European title in 18 years, an experience she will cherish for ever. 'They [Arsenal] were really helpful and got all the loan players that have been out, we all went out together,' she said. 'We were sat quite close to the girls, [we were] on the pitch after the game as well, so we still felt like a part of the squad, which was really nice to be around. 'It was crazy – I felt like a fan and like a player at the same time, so it was nice to be around. And then all the scenes after the game, it was really special.' Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion She is now hoping it is not the only silverware she sees this summer. At youth international level, Agyemang has helped England qualify for the Under-19 Euros, a competition she could play in, in Poland in June, but Wiegman is evidently considering her for the senior Euros in Switzerland if she impresses in this camp. On her transition between the Under-19s and the seniors, the youngster said: 'It's been interesting going through the different age groups, meeting different players and coaches. But I think the England pathway is so similar across the board, so it's really easy to settle in no matter where I am. The pathway enables people to get up to the seniors quickly. I think wherever I am [in whichever England team] it's about helping the team prepare and winning the trophy this year.'
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Lauren Hemp, Georgia Stanway and Alex Greenwood return to Sarina Wiegman's England squad but one big star misses out in build-up to Women's Euros
Sarina Wiegman has named her penultimate England squad ahead of this summer's European Women's Championship. Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway have all returned after missing previous camps through injury. Manchester City duo Hemp and Greenwood both returned to action in recent weeks, while Stanway was forced to miss out on the end of Bayern Munich 's season and is yet to have any proper game time under her belt before this camp. Lauren James continues to miss out after suffering a hamstring injury during the last international break last month. England will host Portugal on May 30 before travelling to Barcelona to take on world champions Spain on June 3 in their Nations League double header. Elsewhere Michelle Agyemang, the 19-year-old Arsenal forward, currently on loan at Brighton, also retained her place after impressing in the previous camp – where she scored 41 seconds after making her debut against Belgium last month. Agyemang's Brighton teammates Nikita Parris and Fran Kirby have also been called up again. Tottenham defender Ella Morris, 22, has been rewarded with a first senior call-up to the senior squad. Manchester United's Millie Turner misses out, despite her and her centre-back teammate Maya Le Tissier having one of the defensive records in the top-flight this season – second behind only Chelsea. Le Tissier retained her spot in the squad. Wiegman said: 'These are another two important games for us in a big year. Naturally we are preparing for the summer ahead. We saw in February that both Portugal and Spain will provide a big challenge and that excites us. 'These are the levels we need to compete against to make sure we are the best possible version of ourselves on 5 July when our EURO begins. 'We have the possibility of seeing 27-players in our environment and that's a real positive. It will give us more good information to make important decisions in the near future. 'Also naming the squad 12 days before the window begins gives all the players clarity as the season ends for some and carries on for others.' England will set out to defend their Euros title in July, beginning with their first game against group D rivals France in Zurich on July 5, before they will hope to make it to make it to the showpiece final on July 27.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
🎥 Team-mates pay tribute to Michelle Agyemang after England debut stunner
It's been a whirlwind few days for Michelle Agyemang. Fresh from receiving a first senior England call-up after injury to Alessia Russo, the forward made her international debut in Tuesday's Nations League loss to Portugal. Advertisement And Agyemang took just 41 seconds to open her account for Sarina Wiegman's side with a sublime volley to reduced the deficit in the European champions' 3-2 reversal. (This clip is only available for users in the United Kingdom) Agyemang's Brighton teammates had their say on her maiden international strike and it's fair to say they were (mostly) blown away. Will the 19-year-old be able to keep her place in the Lionesses' squad? 📸 Alex Bierens de Haan - 2025 Getty Images
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Agyemang 'has made a name for herself now'
Michelle Agyemang has "made a name for herself now" with her stunning debut goal for England, according to former Arsenal defender Jen 19-year-old scored a stunning volley with her first two touches within seconds of coming on in the Lionesses' defeat by Belgium on is on loan at Brighton from parent club Arsenal for the 2024-25 campaign and has made 19 appearances in all competitions for Dario Vidosic's side, scoring three - who spent time with Agyemang at Arsenal - told BBC Radio 5 Live's Women's Football Weekly podcast: "She is unreal. She was an Academy player when I was at Arsenal and she used to come up to training and was sometimes involved in match squads."I kid you not, she would do that in training. She is an incredible box player, an unbelievable finisher. She doesn't need more than one or two touches exactly what you saw against Belgium."It was a hard loss for England, but I hope she gets her moment because that is unbelievable to come on and take 41 seconds to get your first senior goal. And what a goal. She didn't even celebrate. I get it with the context of the game, but I hope deep down she is absolutely buzzing because I am for her."She has made a name for herself now. There is no better intro to a senior squad than that in an international debut. I was shouting in my living room for that one."Listen to Women's Football Weekly on BBC Sounds
