The Lionesses are missing a lot of experience, so now is the time for other leaders to step up
When I heard that Mary Earps and Millie Bright wouldn’t be going to the Euros, I was shocked, a bit disappointed, and it immediately got me thinking about what happens in terms of the squad dynamic.
Looking back to Euro 2022, there are a lot of big characters who have gone. Ellen White has gone, Rachel Daly’s gone, Jill Scott’s gone. In total, 10 players who were part of the Euro 2022 squad won’t be with the team this month.
It is horrible to have to take on a secondary role during a tournament. At Euro 2009, I played every game and we got to the final. I had a meeting with the manager Hope Powell the day before, and I sort of knew what was coming. She said they needed more strength and power in midfield so Jill was going to play instead of me. I wanted the team to do well, but I also wanted them to miss me.
Maybe that’s where Mary has struggled. When you’re a youngster coming through, breaking into the England squad and you’re on the bench, you see that as progression. But once you’ve been in that first XI, and regularly in it, then to drop out of it, that’s very difficult to deal with.
I’ve always been of the mindset of “I’m going to fight and get my place back. I’m going to go into that squad and that first training session, and I’m going to show them that I’m going to be in that first XI.” But it can be hard when you’ve been there. Mary’s been a really key figure, then to find out that she’s probably going to have to sit on the bench for most of the tournament.
On the flip side, it could work in England’s favour. Not having a big character like Mary sat on the bench may actually help Hannah Hampton. It’d be great to have players competing for positions and two world-class goalkeepers, but from Sarina Wiegman’s perspective, and perhaps Hannah’s as well, this might be easier to deal with.
It’s a different story when it comes to Millie Bright. I played with Millie at Doncaster Belles and Millie is one of the strongest people that I know. Not just in terms of being physically strong on the field but also mentally strong. Whatever match she was playing in, she would be 100 percent focused and wouldn’t let things get to her.
‘We’re worrying that they’re losing players who are household names but they do have depth in quality’
It’s been a continuous cycle for her. The league finishes and then it’s straight into international duty. She won’t have had a lot of chances to have a break and spend time with her family. It’s really brave of her to come out and speak about it, and explain that was a main reason that she couldn’t give everything to the team. That just isn’t Millie, because Millie gives everything, every single training session, every single game.
For her to miss out on the opportunity to try to win another tournament, she must have been really struggling, so it’s massively brave for her to do that.
There has been a shift in expectation for England and that pressure must be tough when you are a captain or vice-captain. You’re dealing with your own emotions and then you’re trying to help youngsters coming through as well. The scrutiny they are under makes it difficult on a regular basis to keep trying to deal with that.
You’re away at tournaments for long periods so you need good energy within the camp. You look at those players, especially the likes of Millie, Rachel and Jill, and you can’t help but feel that that experience and energy is going to be missed, as well as their quality on the field.
At Euro 2009, Rachel Yankey was left out of the squad and that was a big surprise. She’d been my room-mate for years and was one of my good friends. I felt we were really going to miss her, but you’ve got to accept it’s something you can’t control personally and focus on the task in hand.
The initial emotions of the players will have been of shock and disappointment. But that’s short-lived when you’re with everyone else because you’ve got to refocus.
The squad will probably have dealt with it by now, and I can’t imagine they’ll be thinking about it at all when England play France in our first game. They’ll have spoken to each other and with the staff. They will focus on who’s there and what their strengths are and how they’re going to utilise them.
With Millie and Mary not being there, it allows other leaders to step up. We’re worrying that they’re losing these players because they are big players and household names, but England do still have depth of quality and experience.
Photograph by Morgan Harlow/Getty Images
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