Lotte Wubben-Moy was forced to isolate from the rest of the England Lionesses camp following a positive Covid test result last week, robbing her a place on the bench for their record-breaking triumph over Norway on Monday. However, the Arsenal defender has now returned to training and could feature in this evening’s final group game against Northern Ireland.
With Sarina Wiegman’s side having already qualified for the knockout stages, the head coach may reward the likes of Wubben-Moy with a start to make their European Championships bow. The 23-year-old has become synonymous with the red of Arsenal throughout her club career.
However, her journey to the England squad has been far from straightforward, with a two-year stint in America providing her with many useful lessons in the women’s game. Here is everything you need to know about Lotte Wubben-Moy - an England defender for the present and the future.
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Lotte Wubben-Moy journey to Arsenal
Born in Bow, London, to an English mother and Dutch father, Lotte Wubben-Moy attended Olga Primary School. It was here when the youngster started up a girls’ football team having managed to find a few other girls who were interested in playing the game too, duly creating the Olga girls’ five-a-side team.
She attributes this desire and creation as being the catalyst for being scouted by West Ham Ladies, who would become her first proper team at the age of nine. When she reached 11-years-old, Millwall came calling before Arsenal snatched her up two years later.
Having been a striker when growing up, even being top scorer for West Ham, she slowly began moving further back, first trying her hand in midfield before settling in defence, which was her position when Arsenal signed her where she made her first-team debut as a teenager. After completing her GCSEs at Anglo European School and A-levels at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form, Wubben-Moy was offered the opportunity to sign a professional contract with the Gunners.
However, she boldly opted to continue pursuing further education, accepting a scholarship at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in the USA. She previously described this as one of the hardest decisions she’s had to make, but noted how it was some of “the most amazing years” of her life.
Across the Atlantic, she became a more well-rounded footballer and person, learning from the physical and competitive nature of their games. In August 2020, she announced her decision to forego the third year of study and playing with the North Carolina Tar Heels amid the uncertainty of the season following the Covid-19 outbreak.
This paved the way for her return to Arsenal in the FA Women’s Super League, after winning the ACC regular season and the ACC Women's Soccer Tournament twice during her time in the States.
Lotte Wubben-Moy’s England Lionesses career
Lotte Wubben-Moy came through the England ranks, beginning with the U15s in 2014. She was in the same age group as fellow future Lionesses stars Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone and Ellie Roebuck.
Together they won bronze at the Euros and then she captained the team at the U17 World Cup in 2016 as the team reached the quarter-finals. She also led the side to third-place in the U17 Euro finals earlier that year.
Her breakthrough in the senior side came in February 2021 when she made her debut against Northern Ireland. She has consistently been included in squads named by Sarina Wiegman, having since earned seven further international caps, and was part of the group who won the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup.
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