ENGLAND coach Sarina Wiegman expects to have winger Lauren James in her squad for Sunday’s Euro 2025 final against Spain, boosting her team’s quest to build on the legacy they began by winning the continental title three years ago.
James, who has 33 goals in nine games for England including a double in their 4-0 group stage victory over the Netherlands, had been doubtful after injuring her ankle in their 2-1 semi-final win over Italy.
“We had 23 players on the pitch today, and everyone came through,“ Wiegman said at Saturday’s pre-match press conference. “If everyone recovers well, then we have everyone fit for tomorrow.”
England defeated Germany 2-1 in extra time in the 2022 final at Wembley, and the beautiful thing about that moment, said captain Leah Williamson, is that the players know they will likely not experience “something like that again in terms of the change, the story and the journey”.
But it was the start of an excellent run for England, who were edged by Spain in their first appearance in a World Cup final in 2023, and now can become the first England football team to win a title on foreign soil.
“You don’t want to be a flash in the pan, a memory, and before 2022 we said it was the start of something so we’re still trying to play our role in that,“ Williamson said.
“It’s a really privileged time to be part of this team. The opportunity to be the first this and that is a big motivator but more because we know what it does for women’s football and continues the legacy that we’ve already started.”
Sunday’s final at St Jakob-Park is expected to draw a record viewing audience in England, after the team’s dramatic semi-final win over Italy in extra time gave British broadcaster ITV its biggest audience of the year.
Williamson said she and her teammates are aware of what another Euro victory would mean.
“We’re very connected to what it means to the nation. As connected as we can be being away from home,“ she said.
“The opportunity of (Sunday) and what’s on offer is the best thing in football. We wanted to be here until the end and have the chance to fight for the trophy and you can’t do that until the final.
“We don’t carry the weight of it and how much it means to people but we’re aware of it because it means the same to us. We have a squad of excited, focused players.”
Williamson, who injured her ankle during England’s quarter-final win over Sweden, was asked about playing through pain.
“I can speak for every single member of the squad when I say that as long as we get the green light, we would play through anything,“ she said. “My ankle is great.”- REUTERS
