Netherlands midfielder Jill Baijings, who spent last season on loan at Aston Villa, joins on a permanent basis.

England midfielder joins on two-year deal after Ajax exit ‘He will drive standards,’ says head coach Keith Andrews Brentford have completed the signing of Jordan Henderson after Ajax agreed to end his contract a year early. The England midfielder has a two-year deal and becomes the second arrival since Keith Andrews’ appointment as head coach. “He’s still phenomenally fit and he’s still phenomenally motivated to achieve things in the game, having already achieved a lot,” Andrews told Brentford’s website. “With the void of experienced players leaving the building – Christian Nørgaard, Mark Flekken and Ben Mee – it was important to replace that.” Continue reading...

France score four times in the second half to come back and beat Netherlands 5-2 and progress to the quarter-finals of Women's Euro 2025 as Group D winners.

Andries Jonker had maintained that “on some days miracles happen” but this was most definitely not one of them. Admittedly there was a spell when Jonker’s Netherlands teased everyone by threatening France with the prospect of an unlikely elimination but ultimately Delphine Cascarino, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and the rest of Laurent Bonadei’s attacking armoury were far too powerful to be eclipsed. Continue reading...

An increasingly formidable-looking England swept Wales aside to reach the Euro 2025 quarter-finals and send the tournament debutants home without any points, as the Lionesses booked a last-eight meeting with Sweden. The Lionesses finished as the runners-up in Group D after the French’s victory over the Netherlands in Basel, but they will heads into the knockout stages with a strong feeling of positivity and optimism after notching up six goals in St Gallen, while Wales gave their loyal supporters a moment to savour when Hannah Cain netted a second-half consolation in front of their red wall. Continue reading...

Updates from the 8pm BST kick-off in Basel Player guide | Wallchart | Tables | Mail Will The good news from Basel is that, in Andries Jonker and Laurent Bonadei, the Netherlands and France possess two managers who pour scorn on unwritten norms and treat received wisdoms with suspicion. Louise Taylor previews this decider. Continue reading...

All the latest news and reaction from Switzerland Player guide | Wallchart | Tables | Mail John Here we are for the Battle of Britain that will decide destinies. The Lionesses were so much improved against the Dutch, and a national sigh of relief was sounded. Wales have been full of the spirit expected in pre-tournament but lost both matches. And there’s another game being played at the same time. The permutations are complicated. France will progress as long as they don’t lose to the Netherlands by three goals or more, or if England lose to Wales. England progress if they match Netherlands’ result against France, as the Lionesses have the better head-to-head record. In order to win the group, they need to beat Wales and for France to lose to the Netherlands though not by more than seven goals) The Netherlands will progress if they beat France by more than three goals, or if England do not beat Wales. They will win the group if they beat France by more than seven goals, or with any win if Wales defeat England. Wales will only be able to reach the quarterfinals if they beat England by more than four goals, in conjunction with the Netherlands losing to France. Continue reading...

Angharad James says the pressure is all on England Wales need four-goal win to have any hope of progress The Wales captain, Angharad James, says it is in the players’ blood and DNA to want to knock England out of Euro 2025 as the sides prepare to meet in Sunday’s final Group D fixture. England know victory would guarantee progress to the knockout stages and could go through without winning. Wales must win by at least a four-goal margin to have any hope of reaching the quarter-finals and need the Netherlands to lose to France. Continue reading...

Netherlands manager prepares for what could be his final game as he takes on a coach whose bold choices have led to Les Bleues leading Group D Convention plays a big part in football. There’s the convention that settled starting XIs help winning teams build momentum, the convention that experience really matters at major tournaments and, perhaps above all, the convention that head coaches are best off saying nothing remotely controversial. The good news from Basel is that, in Andries Jonker and Laurent Bonadei, the Netherlands and France possess two managers who pour scorn on unwritten norms and treat received wisdoms with suspicion. Continue reading...

Former Manchester United coach getting ‘fitter and fitter’ He is open to offers to from top-tier national team The former Netherlands and Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game. The 73-year-old said three years ago that he had prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show: “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.” When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Netherlands and he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Continue reading...

The former Netherlands and Manchester United boss says he is "getting fitter and fitter" after successful treatment.

Online abuse of striker exposed as specious as selfless displays make her key to Lionesses’ success Dare mention Alessia Russo was a good pick for player of the match after her three assists against the Netherlands, without an afterword on Lauren James also being superb or highlighting the performances of Jess Carter or Hannah Hampton or any of the others in an all-around strong showing, and you will be accused of being influenced by PRusso. The not-so-witty merging of PR and the player’s name has become an insult online, used to denigrate anyone who suggests that Russo may be quite a good player. Your opinion cannot possibly be right; it’s Russo’s good PR team that has led you to believe that she is good. You have been influenced, you are a sheep, you have been blinded by the shiny Adidas adverts and the magazine cover shoots. Open your eyes, they scream into the online abyss, Russo is an average player, someone else was better, anyone else was better. Continue reading...

Win over the Netherlands shows Sarina Wiegman has kept spirits high in the Lionesses’ camp as decisive matches loom England are back on track. They really needed that display against the Netherlands and it was a pivotal moment for them. It was a very, very commanding performance. Physically, they showed their dominance and exposed the Netherlands’ weaknesses at the back. With Lauren James, in what I think is her best position, playing from the right and being able to drift in, you can maintain your midfield structure. Her performance showed why Sarina Wiegman has selected her and the team performance showed why she stuck with the group that she did. Continue reading...

England international expected to sign two-year deal Christian Nørgaard has left Bees to join Arsenal England midfielder Jordan Henderson is poised to join Brentford after leaving Ajax. It is understood the 35-year-old will return to England after agreeing an early exit from his contract with the Dutch side, which still had a year remaining. Former Liverpool captain Henderson, understood to have agreed a two-year deal, is set to bolster the Bees midfield following the departure of captain Christian Nørgaard to Arsenal. Continue reading...