England 2015 world cup squad

Steph Houghton was visibly angry and extremely upset after being told by manager Sarina Wiegman she was not going to be part of the England squad for this summer’s European championships. Wiegman and Houghton have agreed to have a cooling-off period and are not expected to speak again until after the tournament given how highly charged Wednesday’s meeting was. Sources have told Telegraph Sport that the meeting was an emotional one as Houghton digested the news she would not be playing in a home tournament, in front of sold-out crowds, having spent most of her career as first-choice centre back when fit. The Manchester City player was convinced she was good enough to make the squad and had proven her fitness, despite not playing a competitive game since January because of ankle and Achilles injuries. At the age of 34, Houghton is unlikely to be able to force her way back into the England squad - Wiegman has a contract that runs until after the World Cup in 2023 and it looks … [Read more...] about Steph Houghton ‘angry and upset’ after being axed from England’s Euro 2022 squad

The Daily Star is on the lookout for the football's expert voices – with Group B of our World Cup of Pundits ready for kick-off. Group A was a belter, and while the vote is being counted and verified, here's our second group of names hoping to take home the prestigious trophy. This time out we have Josep Pedrerol, Eni Aluko, Alex Scott and Gabriel Agbonlahor all vying for a place in the knockout rounds. Which expert do you think outranks their peers? Vote below and let us know who you're endorsing in the comments section . You can also let the pundits know that you're voting for them on social media and sign up for the Daily Star Sport newsletter for all of the news and results from the tournament. HAVE YOUR SAY! Who is your favourite football pundit? Let us know in the comments below... Josep Pedrerol If you've never come across one of Spanish journalist Pedrerol's viral rants, they are utterly savage. In his most famous rant on El Chiringuito TV, Pedrerol … [Read more...] about World Cup of Pundits Group B vote open for Pedrerol, Eni Aluko, Alex Scott and Agbonlahor

After a delay of a year caused by the pandemic, we finally know the players who will make up the England squad among the favourites to win the European Championship on home soil this summer. As harsh as it may seem, anything less than a place in the final will be viewed through the prism of failure and disappointment. England have reached the semi-finals of each of the last three tournaments, a run stretching back to 2015. The standards have been set, expectations must be matched and there is no room either for sentimentality with former captain Steph Houghton not included. Instead the squad is a fascinating blend of youth and experience. There are a total of nine players making their tournament debuts, but they will be led by the old guard of Lucy Bronze, Jill Scott, Millie Bright, Demi Stokes, Ellen White and, having recovered from injury, Chelsea’s talismanic Fran Kirby. All were involved in the semi-final defeats to Holland at the Euros in 2017 and the USA at the World … [Read more...] about England have fallen short before, but now they are good enough to win the Euros

England’s women’s team will receive a bonus of £55,000 each if they win the European Championship this summer , it can be revealed. The deal is the most generous scheme ever agreed between the FA and players heading into a tournament, although the overall squad total of around £1.3million would be much lower than the bonus of £5m that England's men would have received if they had won last summer's Euros. The women's bonus would represent a significantly higher percentage of the prize money on offer from Uefa, however. The winners of the women's tournament could receive up to just over €2m depending on how many Group Stage games they win, in contrast to the €34m that Italy took home after triumphing last summer. And with an appearance fee of £2,000 per match, some players could take home more than £72,000 at the end of a successful tournament, which is more than many professional players in this country would earn over the course of two seasons. The men's teams agreed several … [Read more...] about Exclusive: England’s Lionesses to receive £55k bonus per player if they win Euro 2022

With a CV that includes stints working in a bakery, an Indian restaurant and night shifts in a chippy, Bethany England is no stranger to hard graft. This summer, that teenager who was once deep-frying Creme Eggs until 5am to pay her way through college can now, at 28, add 'England striker at a major international tournament' onto that tasty career path. The Chelsea striker has been picked for July's home Euros - no great surprise after she enjoyed the highest goals-per-90-minutes ratio of any English forward in the Women's Super League last season. But it was a distant dream a decade ago when she says she was earning merely around £150 a month playing for Doncaster Rovers Belles, prior to the WSL becoming fully-professional. "I think the youth coming through these days won't realise how much people had to work to get to where they are," England said. "There was a time where I was basically paying to go to football, not football paying me. It is a reality check but it also … [Read more...] about Bethany England interview: ‘I do a good fish and chips – at Easter we would fry Creme Eggs’

In 2009, a squad of part-time England players, earning just £16,000 a year, reached the final of the European Championship. Despite being thrashed 6-2 by Germany, it was a landmark moment for the modern women’s game – and an achievement not since bettered by any other England team. By then, the Football Association was starting to take the women’s game seriously. There were central contracts for the 17 best players in the country, a dedicated support staff for those on England duty, a strength and conditioning coach, a psychologist and a data and video analyst. But still there was an overwhelming sense football was just a part-time job. Even the best players had to find work to pay the bills. “Central contracts were a huge step in the right direction, and we were very grateful for it at the time,” said Rachel Brown-Finnis, England goalkeeper in 2009. “But when you’re in a final against some of the best players in the world, it showed us in pretty stark fashion that we still had a … [Read more...] about How England’s part-time Euros trailblazers paved way for this summer’s home favourites

Sarina Wiegman has confirmed all 23 members of her squad are available for today's Euro 2022 opener against Austria and said of her starting line-up: "It's not finalised yet, we always do it after the last training session, but yes, it is hard. "We have shown we have a very good squad, with depth, and it's really good that we have to make hard choices." A notable feature of England's warm-up games has been an impact being made by substitutes and players brought in amid changes to the starting XI. The matches also saw skipper Leah Williamson play both in midfield and defence and Wiegman said, when asked about what she had learned from the warm-ups on that front: "I learned a lot from the last three games, and from earlier games we played, and I think she can play in both, in midfield and in defence." Williamson, sat alongside Wiegman at the press conference, said: "For me, tomorrow, to get out on the pitch playing for England is enough. I'll do whatever I need to do for the … [Read more...] about England Women’s Euro 2022 squad: the final 23-player line-up, fixtures and more

Fara Williams, England’s most capped footballer, has urged Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman to include Steph Houghton in her squad for next month’s home Euros - even if the former Lionesses captain is not fully fit. Houghton was included in Wiegman’s 28-woman provisional squad for the tournament, which begins on July 6 when England face Austria at Old Trafford, despite missing most of last season with an Achilles injury. Given her lack of match volume - after starting just four games in the Women’s Super League last season - the Manchester City defender could be the most high-profile omission from Wiegman's trimmed-down, 23-player squad when it is announced on Wednesday. Despite her injury woes - and the fact she is yet to feature for the national team under Wiegman - Houghton remains one of the most experienced players within England’s camp. The 121-time capped international has featured in two World Cups, the 2017 Euros and London 2012 Olympics - where she finished as Great … [Read more...] about Sarina Wiegman urged to name Steph Houghton in England squad despite fitness doubts

Fresh from being named in Sarina Wiegman’s 28-strong provisional squad for this summer’s home Euros, Steph Houghton summed up her side’s uncomfortable injury situation in one succinct sentence. “When you've got the Euros, there's no other option but to be positive and keep carrying on,” she told Telegraph Sport earlier this week. It is that stoic attitude that Wiegman will have to adopt as she attempts to plot her side’s path to Euros glory without a cluster of big names that have formed the spine of England’s squad in bygone years. Jordan Nobbs became the first high-profile casualty this week after being ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury. Jill Scott, so often described as the glue which holds England’s midfield together and who on Wednesday announced she would be leaving Manchester City when her contract ends next month, is also another doubt. There is striker Fran Kirby, who also faces a race against time to make Wiegman’s slimmed-down squad of 23 players, having not … [Read more...] about Steph Houghton determined to overcome injury in time for England tilt at Euros title

Sarina Wiegman has revealed how England Euro stars Declan Rice and Kieran Trippier are attempting to give her players the inside track on succeeding in a home Euros. The Lionesses kick off their bid for European Championship success in front of a sold-out Old Trafford in their opening group game with Austria on July 6. And already, her team are being lauded as favourites to win the tournament, as their male counterparts were under Gareth Southgate last summer. That bid, of course, ended in the heartache of a penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy in the Final but two of Southgate’s squad have visited St George’s Park this week, to pass on their wisdom to Wiegman’s players . “What we wanted to do was share experiences around the home Euros and have chats,” said Wiegman. “I think sharing experiences help; what they experienced on the pitch, off the pitch. “And there was a little formal thing and then an informal thing and in the informal thing players got into chats. That … [Read more...] about England Women ready to learn from men’s team as they prepare for sold-out home Euros