England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy has no doubt that Arsenal teammate Leah Williamson is ready for the pressure of leading the Lionesses into this summer’s home European Championships.
Williamson has been captaining the side since September in the absence of the injured Steph Houghton, but was this week handed the armband for the Women’s Euros by head coach Sarina Wiegman.
“I’m absolutely buzzing for her,” Wubben-Moy told Standard Sport. “Not just as a teammate but as an individual, I’ve seen her journey through thick and thin, hard and good times, and she deserves this moment.
“I can’t wait to see how she’ll grow in this role. I guess she’s been leading since even before she got the armband and also learning.”
Williamson, who will miss tonight’s World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia as she follows concussion protocols, is tasked with leading a side rated among the favourites to a first major tournament success.
England were knocked out in the semi-finals of the last Euros in 2017, as well as the last two World Cups, and will be desperate to play a part in the final at Wembley on July 31, tickets for which sold out in less than 24 hours after going on sale last month.
However, Wubben-Moy insists that the 25-year-old has the character to carry that burden ahead of what is expected to be a landmark summer.
“Pressure is privilege,” she said. “She’s worked for this moment and she’ll cherish that pressure I’m sure, use it to the better. There’s no greater honour than leading your country out as a captain and I’m almost sure she’ll cherish it.”
Wubben-Moy is two years Williamson’s junior and like her new captain came through the Arsenal academy.
Speaking as part of Nationwide and England Football’s Where Greatness Is Made campaign, which is celebrating some of England’s most significant female captains by erecting plaques in their hometowns, the centre-back paid tribute to the influence her new national team skipper has already had on her career.
“On my [Arsenal] debut at 16, just before kick-off she looked at me and said: ‘Enjoy this moment, remember it, cherish it and just be present in this moment because there’ll be no other moment like it’.
“I’ll never forget that, when she passed on that nugget of wisdom and I’d like to think I can do that for younger players coming through, making debuts for Arsenal and for England.”
Wubben-Moy withdrew from the England squad for February’s Arnold Clark Cup matches against Spain, Germany and Canada through injury and after being called-up by Wiegman again this month has also been forced to pull out of the trip to North Macedonia because of a thigh problem.
The timing is frustrating for a player looking to cement her place at the home Euros, but the 23-year-old believes the experience of playing in the Champions League for Arsenal this season will be invaluable when the continent’s best teams arrive on these shores in July.
“It’s always good to be tested at the top level,” she added. “Our league [WSL] is extremely competitive and all but one of our players is competing in our league but to then have that extra challenge of Champions League football is great for me and the other players. We can test and benchmark ourselves against some of the best players in Europe.
“That Wolfsburg team last week was full of German international players and the Germans could be possible opposition in the Euros. You’ve go to beat the best to be the best so we’ll be relishing that competition.”
