Jess Naz replaces injured Lauren James in England's squad for their Nations League match against Belgium.

Forwards could replicate Russo and Toone’s gamechanging roles in 2022 at this summer’s European Championship There was a clear identity and formula to England’s all-conquering run to a first European title in 2022. The starting XI remained the same throughout and the impact, when the Lionesses needed it most, came from the bench, primarily through Alessia Russo and Ella Toone. The duo became known as the super-subs, their profiles becoming as big as those lining up at the start of each game, their arrival around the hour mark eagerly awaited. Continue reading...

England’s ageless right-back proved she has no intention of slowing down soon with a performance which bodes well for the Euros There was a very summer 2022 feel to this England victory. From the throwback of seeing a confident Beth Mead finding acres of space down the right, to Keira Walsh hitting defence-splitting passes with ease, to a sold-out crowd enjoying the embers of the sunny weather and creating a party atmosphere as they revelled at the entertaining, attacking football being played by the European champions, with a level of cohesion rarely seen since the World Cup. The lineup was reminiscent of that 2022 Euros success too, with seven of this starting side here having been key components of the team that won the European title. Rolling back the years even further, though, was Lucy Bronze, because there was something very World Cup 2015 about the performance of the best player on the pitch. Continue reading...

Momentum is starting to build for the Lionesses as they edge closer to Euro 2025 and manager Sarina Wiegman admits "something is happening".

Nations League latest, 8pm BST kick-off at Ashton GateLive scoreboard | Read Moving the Goalposts | Mail Luke Feel free to email me with your hopes and expectations. Leah Williamson has praised the form of Alessia Russo before England’s No 9 spearheads the Lionesses’ attack in their Women’s Nations League double-header against Belgium, starting in Bristol on Friday. Continue reading...

Forward is in fine form going into Belgium double-header‘To be a No 9 you have to have that confidence about you’ Leah Williamson has praised the form of Alessia Russo before England’s No 9 spearheads the Lionesses’ attack in their Women’s Nations League double-header against Belgium, starting in Bristol on Friday. Arsenal’s Russo has scored 14 goals in her past 21 games for club and country, including two in last week’s Champions League second-leg comeback win over Real Madrid. Her clubmate, the England captain Williamson, praised Russo’s character, saying at St George’s Park on Thursday: “Everyone will always say how nice a person Alessia is and everyone wants to see her do well for that reason. But to be a No 9 you do have to have that sort of – not arrogance – but confidence about you. Continue reading...

Gareth Southgate wants role models to offer a different path from toxic influencers. Do those in sport have the will to do so? Amid all the pressing problems of the day, one crisis has cut through: the acute need for greater support, care and steady role models for young men, addressed powerfully through the Netflix series Adolescence, explored in the Centre for Social Justice paper Lost Boys and discussed in parliament. Then came the BBC Richard Dimbleby lecture by the former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate, reinforcing the importance of belief and resilience for young people in a challenging world. Southgate continues to embody how sport and society can connect in a new way. The question now is whether the rest of sport – its leaders, coaches, athletes, volunteers and fans – stands ready to take up the cause and whether sport has the collective vision, will and competence to do so effectively. Continue reading...

Chelsea and England defender on the power of football, the pitch named after her and a new reality for fan interactions “When you experience the things we have in the women’s game, it does open your eyes to the struggles of others,” says Millie Bright. “It does make you more aware of all kinds of different barriers people might face. You really appreciate the struggles that people have to go through and the constant barriers and battles that have to be fought every single day just to exist. Literally just to exist. You’re not asking to be better than anyone, you’re just asking to exist and be able to do what you love doing, whatever that is, in sport or beyond sport; things that are just part of living a full life, and everyone deserves a full life.” The Chelsea and England defender is sitting in the small stand at Cobham FC’s brilliantly named Leg O’ Mutton Field talking about the power of football. Last year Bright was back in Killamarsh, the village in north-east Derbyshire where she grew up, opening the “Millie Bright pitch” at her childhood club, Killamarsh Juniors. That is one of 30 3G pitches dedicated to prioritising women’s and girls’ football that have received funding via the Premier League, the Football Association and the government-backed Football Foundation’s Lionesses Futures Fund. Continue reading...

Former Watford manager discovered news three years ago‘I am focused on keeping physically fit,’ says 54-year-old The former England Under-21s manager Aidy Boothroyd has revealed he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years ago. Boothroyd also managed Watford and Coventry before succeeding Gareth Southgate as Under-21s manager in 2016, spending five years in the role before leaving in April 2021. In a statement released on the League Managers Association’s website on Wednesday, the 54-year-old said: “Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The news came as a massive shock to me, following what I expected to be my routine LMA Annual Health Assessment. Continue reading...

Brighton forward Fran Kirby is recalled to the England squad for their Women's Nations League matches against Belgium next month.

Preparations are under way for this summer’s U21 European Championship as Carsley looks to ready players for Tuchel Had things turned out differently, Lee Carsley could quite easily be taking charge of the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League playoff against Bulgaria in Dublin on Sunday night. At the end of 2023 the former Derby and Everton midfielder was approached by the country he represented 40 times to see if he would be interested in leaving his role with England Under-21s. Having held what Carsley described as “informal discussions” with the Football Association of Ireland, he opted to stay put. Their loss has been England’s gain as the 51-year-old stepped up to fill Gareth Southgate’s shoes when he departed after Euro 2024 and was only too happy to resume his duties with the under-21s when Thomas Tuchel was appointed as head coach of the senior side. Continue reading...

Lionesses in talks over payments for Euro 2025FA’s offer believed to be lower than other countries England Women are facing another impasse with the Football Association over bonuses, with the squad yet to agree to the terms they have been offered for their European Championship defence this summer. A dispute over bonuses interrupted the Lionesses’ preparations for the World Cup two years ago, with the FA initially refusing to offer performance-related payments after Fifa introduced individual player fees, leading to negotiations being paused on the eve of the tournament amid concerns they were proving a distraction. Continue reading...

Former England manager may not be right about everything but he remains a good man, fulfilling a role others have vacated Say what you like, and the haters – we know this about the haters – will continue to hate, are in effect defined by their hating. But Gareth Southgate has now finally delivered on the biggest stage of all. This is of course a reference to the stage at Senate House library, venue for Big Gate’s big Dimbleby lecture, recorded in front of an audience of silent, rapt, nodding people, and broadcast this week on the BBC. This is what elite big-lecture managers do. They seize the moment. They shut out the noise. Gareth at the Dimbleby? Absolutely nailed it. Continue reading...

Nations League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-offRead Moving the Goalposts | And send Emillia an email The Lionesses kicked off their 2025 with an underwhelming 1-1 draw with Portugal last week. The result and performance left Sarina Wiegman, her players and England fans with a familiar feeling of frustration. Just two years ago, England looked completely formidable on the pitch. Since the World Cup, however, they have appeared very beatable. Continue reading...