Sarina Wiegman insisted that taking Lauren James to Euro 2025 is “not a risk” after naming England’s 23-player group for this summer’s tournament in Switzerland.
Injuries have restricted James to just six WSL starts for Chelsea this season and she has not featured since April, but the Lionesses have chosen to gamble on the forward’s fitness.
“She is at the point that we hoped she would be at this stage. We don’t see it as a risk. We are just building her.”
Preparations for the tournament were rocked by the international retirements of Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, as well as vice-captain Millie Bright making herself unavailable due to burnout.
Earps hung up her gloves after learning she had lost her battle with Hannah Hampton for the No 1 shirt, while Kirby was informed by Wiegman that she was unlikely to be in the squad.
Seven players – Michelle Agyemang, Aggie Beever-Jones, Grace Clinton, Khiara Keating, Maya Le Tissier, Anna Moorhouse and Jess Park – will be appearing at their first major tournament.
Agyemang, who spent the season at Brighton & Hove Albion on loan from Arsenal, will be seen as something of a wildcard but scored a sensational goal on debut against Belgium in the Nations League just moments after coming off the bench.
“She brings something different,” Wiegman said.
“We’re really strong up front, also we have so many different qualities in the players we picked. What she showed is so much physicality and we all remember her first goal for us against Belgium.”
In goal, the two keepers behind Hannah Hampton do not have a single cap between them.
England begin the group stages against France on 5 July, before facing the Netherlands on 9 July and Wales on 13 July.
England squad numbers at Euro 2025
- Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, goalkeeper) Age: 24, Caps: 15
England’s only senior goalkeeper after Earps’ retirement, but she is no stranger to a battle for the No 1 shirt after joining a Chelsea squad that already had four stoppers on the books. - Lucy Bronze (Chelsea, defender) Age: 33, Caps: 133
Fifth on England’s list for all-time record appearances. The right-back is by far their most experienced player and recently received plaudits for revealing her autism diagnosis. - Niamh Charles (Chelsea, defender) Age: 26, Caps: 23
Charles will be an asset due to her versatility, primarily used by Wiegman as a left-back but also able to play on the wing. - Keira Walsh (Chelsea, midfielder) Age: 28, Caps: 86
One of the best midfielders in the world, she returned to England last summer after a stint at Barcelona and helped Chelsea to the Treble. Likely to be targeted by England’s opponents. - Alex Greenwood (Man City, defender) Age: 31, Caps: 98
The Man City defender can either play as a left-back or a centre-back but has had to be nursed carefully after undergoing knee surgery in December. - Leah Williamson (Arsenal, defender) Age: 28, Caps: 57
The captain. Williamson missed the last World Cup with an ACL injury but now back to her best. Largely a centre-back but can also operate in midfield. - Lauren James (Chelsea, forward) Age: 23, Caps: 27
England had everything crossed that she would be fit despite her injury problems this season – and it’s a huge bonus that she is on the plane. The Lionesses’ most creative attacker and a game-changer. - Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich, midfielder) Age: 26, Caps: 77
England’s midfield enforcer, Stanway is now one of England’s most established players. - Beth Mead (Arsenal, forward) Age: 30, Caps: 67
Mead missed nearly a year of football with an ACL tear but she has two goals in her last three for England and could start on the right – depending on James’ fitness. - Ella Toone (Man Utd, midfielder) Age: 25, Caps: 58
Won United’s Player of the Year and has a knack for coming up with big goals – as she did in the last Euros final and in the 2023 World Cup semi-final. - Lauren Hemp (Chelsea, forward) Age: 24, Caps: 63
Hemp missed a good chunk of last season with a knee injury but remarkably, came back to register the most assists in the WSL. - Maya Le Tissier (Man Utd, defender) Age: 23, Caps: 8
Wiegman considers her a right-back though she largely plays centre-back for United. A versatile option who Lionesses fans have been keen to see get more minutes. - Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride, goalkeeper) Age: 30, Caps: 0
Oldham-born but spending the last five years of her career abroad, Moorhouse has never played for England but has made the squad courtesy of Earps’ retirement. - Grace Clinton (Man Utd, midfielder) Age: 22, Caps: 10
Clinton first caught the eye during her loan spell at Tottenham and has built on that since returning to United. The midfielder represents another option alongside Stanway and Walsh. - Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit, defender) Age: 24, Caps: 13
The former Man City centre-back has kept her place as a squad player after heading to Washington last summer. - Jess Carter (Gotham FC, defender) Age: 27, Caps: 44
Carter can play either centre-back, left-back – or recently was even used at right-back. She enjoyed a glittering six years at Chelsea before moving to the US. - Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal, forward) Age: 19, Caps: 1
The striker has only made one appearance but what a debut it was, scoring a brilliant volley within 41 seconds of coming on in a Nations League defeat to Belgium. - Chloe Kelly (Man City, forward) Age: 27, Caps: 52
A nightmare start to the season at Manchester City but starred post-Christmas on loan at Arsenal – who are hoping to make the deal permanent. - Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea, forward) Age: 21, Caps: 7
Beever-Jones has already won five major trophies at the age of 21. She is set to operate chiefly as an alternative to Russo. - Jess Park (Man City, midfielder) Age: 23, Caps: 19
Park was eased in fairly gradually by Wiegman but has made a real breakthrough over the past 12 months. Will be vying for Toone’s spot. - Khiara Keating (Man City, goalkeeper) Age: 20, Caps: 0
Even at youth level, the young goalkeeper only has 13 caps and has never played for the senior side. There will be huge pressure if she does make an appearance. - Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal, defender) Age: 26, Caps: 13
Wubben-Moy’s biggest impact for England has come off the field, spearheading the campaign for girls’ access to football in schools. Will be used as defensive cover following Bright’s withdrawal. - Alessia Russo (Arsenal, forward) Age: 26, Caps: 50
Russo was a super-sub at the last Euros but has become England’s focal point following Ellen White’s retirement. Scored four goals at the 2022 tournament and three at the 2023 World Cup.
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