THE LIONESSES LOOKING TO MAKE THEIR TOURNAMENT DEBUTS

If you’re an England fan, the Lionesses becoming European champions on home soil in 2022 will forever be etched in your memory.

Even if you’re not a keen follower, there’s no denying that it made huge waves in women’s football.

Three years on and the tournament is back, this time taking place in Switzerland. Out of England manager Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player squad, 13 are familiar to lifting that European trophy, and seven will be travelling to their first major international tournament.

Her Game Too took a look at who these debutants are and how they could prove instrumental in the Lionesses' quest to retain their European crown.

Michelle Agyemang

The 19-year-old received her first call up to the England squad in April to replace an injured Alessia Russo. She was brought on as a second-half substitute just two days after that call-up in a UEFA Nations League match against Belgium, and made a name for herself within less than a minute.

She scored her debut goal - a spectacular volley - 41 seconds after coming on the pitch.

Some might say that she’s England’s wildcard. If that goal is anything to go by, what’s in store for her at the Euros?

Earlier that week, she’d helped the England Under-19s qualify for the UEFA Women's Under-19s finals in Poland.

The forward has been a key figure in the Young Lionesses squad, becoming a regular goalscorer, having first been called up to represent her country at Under-16 level.

Agyemang joined Arsenal’s academy at the age of six. She rose through the ranks in north London and made a loan move to Watford, then joined Brighton and Hove Albion on loan last summer where she gained valuable experience this season.

Agyemang is tipped to be one of Arsenal’s brightest youngsters, and there’s no wonder why.

Aggie Beever-Jones

A lifelong Chelsea fan and academy graduate, Beever-Jones has become a staple part of the squad at her childhood club. After being sent on two successful loans to Bristol City and Everton, she returned to Chelsea and the growth has been clear to see.

She ended the 2023-24 season with 11 goals and the best minutes-per-goal ratio in the Women's Super League. The subsequent season was a similar one, finishing with nine league goals, as well as heading in the injury time goal in Chelsea's FA cup semi-final against Liverpool.

Beever-Jones received her first senior call-up in 2024, and she’s already scored four goals in six appearances, including a memorable hat-trick against Portugal a few weeks ago.

That hat-trick came on her first senior start at Wembley for the Lionesses - a sure way to present herself in the squad.

Beever-Jones said that she had to be “patient” when waiting for her senior call-up, and that patience has paid off.

Grace Clinton

Grace Clinton received her first senior call-up to the England squad in October 2023, after an impressive spell on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from Manchester United that season, which caught Sarina Wiegman’s eye.

Clinton was named the Professional Footballers’ Associations Young Player of the Year in 2024 and has been a key part of the Young Lionesses squads from the Under-17s through to the Under-23s, including appearances at the UEFA Under-19s Women’s EUROs.

Coming through Everton's academy ranks, Manchester United saw her potential and made her part of the squad in 2022. After two successful loan spells, she returned to Manchester United, scoring nine goals in 21 league games.

Clinton made her Lionesses debut in February last year, with her first appearance seeing her net a goal within 19 minutes during a 7-2 victory over Austria.

Since her first senior call-up, the goals have continued. She ended 2024 with the only goal at a friendly match against Switzerland, making it three goals in five games.

The midfielder is set to be a star of the future.

Maya Le Tissier

Maya Le Tissier’s journey is an incredible one. The Manchester United captain made history in 2018 by becoming the first female player to play for the Guernsey Under-16s boys team.

With limited opportunities to play female football on her home island, Le Tissier moved to Brighton and Hove Albion to join their academy, and was quickly promoted to their senior squad at the age of just 16.

After more than 50 appearances for Brighton, Manchester United saw the talent of the versatile defender.

In October 2024, aged 22, Le Tissier became the youngest player to reach 100 WSL appearances. She’s also remarkably played every single minute of United’s past two seasons.

Despite all of that, she has just eight England appearances. Some say she’s been overlooked as a regular starter by Sarina Wiegman, who prefers her to play as a right-back, where Lucy Bronze firmly stands in her way.

Will we see Le Tissier contribute to the England backline during the EURO?

Jess Park

The Manchester City player made her debut in November 2022 and has earned 19 caps with the Lionesses, scoring three goals.

It took her one minute to make her mark on the international stage, scoring her first senior goal shortly after stepping onto the pitch in a 4-0 win against Japan in November 2022.

Park made Sarina Wiegman’s standby list for the 2023 World Cup, but had to withdraw due to injury.

She has regularly been selected for camps by Sarina Wiegman and been in impressive form this year, scoring the winning goal in England’s victory against world champions Spain at Wembley in February.

She has made over 60 appearances for Manchester City, as well as having an impressive loan spell at Everton.

Khiara Keating

Despite being a regular squad member in recent England camps, Khiara Keating is one of two goalkeepers in Sarina Wiegman’s squad who doesn’t have any senior caps.

Keating kept nine clean sheets in the 2023-24 season for Manchester City, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to win the Women’s Super League Golden Glove.

She’s spent most of her career in north-west England, playing for Manchester United until the age of 11, when she switched to City’s academy.

She’s progressed her way through the Young Lionesses squads, which has seen her be part of Under-17s and Under-19s squads, before being picked for the Under-23s in 2023.

Khiara caught the eye of Sarina Wiegman in October 2023, who named her in her squad for the UEFA Nations League.

Anna Moorhouse

Some say that good thing come to those who wait, and that’s certainly been the case for goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse.

Having never played for England, even at youth level, Sarina Wiegman saw something special in Moorhouse in 2024, when the goalkeeper received her first England call-up.

The then 29-year-old was rewarded with an introduction to international football for her performances at club level across the pond in the National Women's Soccer League with Orlando Pride.

Moorhouse joined Pride in 2022, but her journey had by no means been smooth up to that point.

Moorhouse made only a handful of appearances for clubs including Durham, Doncaster Rovers Belles and Arsenal.

She was given regular game time at West Ham, where she started all five FA Cup matches that took them to the final in 2019.

Moorhouse went on to have a spell at Bordeaux, where she helped them qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League.

After a reduction in game time, she joined Orlando Pride.

Her debut campaign in Orlando was a tough one, but in 2024 she played every game and recorded 13 clean sheets – a new record for the league, winning the NWSL shield and ultimately gaining an England squad spot.

What Moorhouse will do next remains to be seen. Yet, her future is an exciting one.

There are a number of fresh faces making their first appearances at a major tournament, and this is a squad full of potential.

It’s safe to say that Her Game Too will be keeping an eye on their progress and supporting them all the way.