Sarina Wiegman has named her 23 Lionesses who will travel to Switzerland next month for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 competition as defending champions.
It follows the surprise retirements of Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, plus Millie Bright’s withdrawal from selection.
The England squad includes 13 players who made history in lifting the trophy in 2022.
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.
The squad, revealed on Thursday by the Lionesses boss, also includes Lauren James, who has been absent since April with a hamstring issue but has recovered in time to claim her seat on the plane.
James, Niamh Charles and Esme Morgan were in the 2023 World Cup squad, but will be making their first Euro appearance.
Wiegman said: “This group is a very well-balanced mix of players with multiple tournaments on their CVs and also those that will make their tournament debuts. I am excited to see what we are capable of this summer.
“At the same time, I do feel for those that have just missed out. I can only name 23 but there are more players who have been so important to us on our journey to Switzerland. We would not be here without them.
“As we look forward, we still have a month to go until we play the first game. After some important rest, we will all be working really hard to make sure we are ready to go on July 5.”
She told a news conference following the announcement that picking James was “not a risk”.
“We have some time, we still have a month,” she said. “She’s training really well at her club. She’s at the point we hope she would be at this stage. She keeps progressing and hopefully when we go into camp, she can go into training with us and keep progressing into the first game… We don’t see it as a risk. We’re just building.”
She said of Agyemang: “I think she brings something different…She brings so much physicality and we all remember her first goal for us against Belgium. That’s good to have in the team.”
The England head coach also touched on how difficult it was to make her selection.
“Those hard conversations are not nice. I know what players do and how hard they work to make the squad,” she said.
“I also had some nice messages to give. That gives me more energy to give.”
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Four players will be on standby for the tournament – Sophie Baggaley, Laura Blinkilde-Brown, Missy Bo Kearns and Lucy Parker.
All of the squad will meet up at St George’s Park from 16 June, apart from the US-based players – Anna Moorhouse, Jess Carter and Esme Morgan – who will join the team on 23 June.
England then fly to Switzerland on 30 June and will open their title defence against France in Zurich on 5 July.
The side will then meet the Netherlands – who won their home Euros under Wiegman in 2017 – four days later, and Wales in St Gallen on 13 July.
The full Lionesses squad:
Goalkeepers
Hannah Hampton
Khiara Keating
Anna Moorhouse
Defenders
Lucy Bronze
Lotte Wubben-Moy
Jess Carter
Niamh Charles
Maya le Tissier
Esme Morgan
Alex Greenwood
Leah Williamson
Midfield
Grace Clinton
Jess Park
Ella Toone
Georgia Stanway
Keira Walsh
Forwards
Lauren Hemp
Beth Mead
Lauren James
Chloe Kelly
Aggie Beever-Jones
Michelle Agyemang
Alessia Russo
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