England’s preparations to defend their title at the Arnold Clark Cup started with the receiving of commemorative legacy caps at a special ceremony at St.George's Park.
Prior to the first game of the tournament, against Korea Republic in Milton Keynes, Sarina Wiegman invited four Lionesses legends to present each player with a velvet cap bearing their individual legacy number.
As part of last year’s 50th-anniversary celebrations, The FA confirmed that every single player who has represented the Lionesses would receive their own legacy cap in recognition of their unique place in England history. Dating back to the very first official FA match in 1972 it’s said to mirror a similar initiative with the senior men’s team.
Karen Bardsley, Rachel Brown-Finnis, Mo Marley and Ellen White were guests of honour and supported FA women’s technical director Kay Cossington, who said: “Connecting the current generation of players to the history of the women’s game is really important for us all as part of our identity and who we are as a team and as a Lionesses family.
“These legacy numbers will allow us to keep connecting the past to the present day and moving forward to the future. We want to keep legacies alive.”
Addressing the players directly, she added: “The number you receive, that captures a moment in time and is a unique honour. It is so special and only belongs to you.”
Caps were presented to each of the 25 players in the current squad who have been capped, including Jordan Nobbs (legacy number 180) and Lucy Bronze (181) through to the most recent debutants Jess Park (225), Maya Le Tissier (226) and Katie Robinson (227). Goalkeeper Emily Ramsey is currently the only uncapped player in the Arnold Clark Cup squad.
All future internationals will receive a legacy cap after making their first appearance at a celebration event in the week of England’s participation in the Finalissima in April - allowing as many former Lionesses as possible the opportunity to receive their own cap. Members of the 1972 team were already recognised at the 2-1 defeat of the United States at Wembley Stadium last October.
From the Arnold Clark Cup fixtures onwards, which will also see matches against Italy in Coventry on Sunday and Belgium in Bristol on Wednesday, every England player will always have their legacy number printed on their shirt for every international.
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