Sarina Wiegman has praised the development of Leah Williamson, who is yet to start at a major international tournament for England but will captain the team at the Euros this summer, as the Lionesses prepare to face North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying on Friday.
Williamson was on the fringes at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, with the six minutes the Arsenal defender played against Cameroon, having been brought on as a late substitute by Phil Neville, her only action of the tournament in France. Not only is Williamson set to be in the starting XI when the Euros get going at Old Trafford on 6 July but she will do so wearing the armband.
“I followed her before I came in here as the manager, she’s a very talented player,” said Wiegman, England’s head coach. “Now, she has so many more high-level and high-intensity games in her legs and in her brain. That has really helped her. She’s more mature, she can still grow – I’m still growing, we’re all still growing every day – but she’s ready for the opportunity on and off the pitch.”
Wiegman denied there was a risk in making someone with so little major tournament experience the national team captain at a home Euros. She said: “She’s herself and she won’t be a different person when she wears the armband. I do think that we have shared responsibilities, so what we shouldn’t do is put it all on the shoulders of Leah. As a team we all have responsibilities and, when it’s needed, she steps up and talks or uses her way of leadership.”
England will be without Williamson for the game in Skopje as the 25-year-old has missed training and been under precautionary concussion protocols. The hope is she will be fit for Tuesday’s game with Northern Ireland. “She is doing well,” said Wiegman. “She came into camp good, but we didn’t want to take any risks. She had a little bit of a headache, so we take the medical protocols. She just needs to take a little more time in her programme to build her up. Also, no heading [in training] so she’s not ready for the game on Friday.”
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England will also be without Williamson’s Arsenal centre-back partner Lotte Wubben-Moy and Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood for Friday’s game. The pair have not travelled because of knee and thigh injuries respectively. Everton’s Gabby George, who was in camp with the Under-23s, has been called in.
Looking ahead to the Euros, Wiegman believes her squad is in a “good place”, adding: “You always want more as a coach, more time, but the time schedule is so clear, you have this time, these camps, and that’s what you have and you have to do your job.
“I was really happy with the games we had in February, they were really competitive, this is another opponent, we all know the reason why we play these matches [so close to the Euros], because Covid delayed things, so we just have to deal with the situation and be agile. We know on 6 July we have to be ready for the Euros.”
