England saviour Michelle Agyemang ‘something special' says Sarina Wiegman
Agyemang has scored three times in her first four appearances for the defending champions, who were initially stunned in their 2-1 last-four comeback victory over Italy when Barbara Bonansea opened the scoring for the underdogs 33 minutes into the Geneva semi-final.
But just as she did in their quarter-final against Sweden, the youngest Lioness in Switzerland came off the bench and levelled late in the second-half. clipping the crossbar in extra-time before fellow replacement Chloe Kelly emphatically buried the rebound from her own saved penalty late in the second period.
'She has something special,' Wiegman said of Agyemang, who levelled with less than two minutes remaining in second-half stoppage time.
'She's only 19-years-old, she's very mature, she knows exactly what she has to do.
'When you talk about little things that she picks up straight away, because she's not only in the 18-yard box very dangerous but when we have to go to her as a target player, she keeps the ball really well too.
'Even when you saw her shot hit the crossbar, that was not just a shot, she was aiming for it. If she continues like this she has a very bright future.'
Despite her tremendous trajectory, Wiegman does not feel pressure to give the major tournament debutant, who scored 41 seconds into her England debut in April, more minutes than she has so far.
'She's not forcing me,' insisted Wiegman, who has now guided teams to three consecutive European finals, and will aim to make it a hat-trick of three trophies – one with the Netherlands and two with England – with victory in Sunday's Basel final.
'I think she is very grateful she gets minutes, and she's really ready for it. I think her growth and her development went so quickly, from not starting at Brighton, being on loan, to getting lots more minutes and showing how good she is and coming into our team.
'I think how these things go, (they've gone) pretty smoothly for her, and I think she feels very good about that.
England await their opponents for Sunday's final – either World Cup holders Spain or Germany, who England beat 2-1 in the final of their home Euros to lift their first major trophy in 2022 after Kelly scored in extra time.
Agyemang, who returned to parent club Arsenal at the conclusion of the last campaign, drew high praise from Gunners team-mate and England captain Williamson – the woman she replaced with five minutes remaining in normal time.
'She feels inevitable right now,' said Williamson.
'I think she's quality. I think what she brings, she's a nightmare to play against. I'm glad she's my teammate at club and country.
'She deserves her flowers. I hope she gets them. I hope she enjoys tonight, and then I hope she's ready to go at the weekend.'
Fellow Gunner Kelly, who signed a permanent agreement with Arsenal earlier this month, said she felt like she was in a 'fantasy' and was feeling 'so proud to be English' after writing more history for her country.
Agyemang, she said, 'made something happen for the team, got us back in the game, and built so much momentum for us.
'Especially that one where she hits the crossbar, I think that gave us a new lease of energy. She was unbelievable tonight. She gave us a lot of confidence, and when your forward is doing that, it's special.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
38 minutes ago
- Times
Keira Walsh: Confidence is key to beating my Barcelona friends
England's hopes of a second consecutive European Championship title may rest on Keira Walsh. The holding midfielder often goes under the radar. She does not play a glamorous position, has an unassuming personality and her game is predicated on doing the unspectacular perfectly rather than highlights. That Walsh's first England goal came in her 83rd cap last April is fitting. For Sunday's Euro 2025 final against Spain in Basel, England need Walsh to be at her understated best. Their opponents are supreme in midfield, freakishly intelligent, and proven winners at the highest level. Walsh possesses these qualities too. Perhaps most importantly, she knows a secret or two. Walsh spent 2½ years at Barcelona — signing for a world-record fee at the time ($400,000) before joining Chelsea for £440,000 last January — so she is familiar with many of Spain's players. 'I've been asked several times in the last few years about them,' she said. 'They are incredible footballers.' Walsh, 28, is particularly aware of Spain's biggest strength: their midfield. Aitana Bonmatí, winner of the past two Ballons d'Or, scored the winner against Germany in the semi-finals by smartly feinting to create space before firing home from a tight angle. 'The way she let the ball go through, most players in that position wouldn't even think about shooting and automatically cross,' Walsh said of her former Barcelona team-mate. 'But I've played with Aitana a lot and know that she's always thinking about things that other players don't. She will have looked where the 'keeper was and tried to place it. It was a fantastic goal.' Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Bonmatí is not Spain's only generationally talented midfielder. Alexia Putellas, another Barcelona superstar, won the two Ballons d'Or before Bonmati's double. Patri Guijarro occupies Walsh's deeper position and is the hipster's choice for Barcelona's best midfielder. Mariona Caldentey, with whom Walsh also played at Barcelona, has since moved to Arsenal and was the Women's Super League player of the season for 2024-25. 'The Spanish are one of the best possession teams in the world,' Walsh said. 'Aitana's an incredible player, but if you try to nullify her, Patri's been one of the best players at this tournament. So you can focus on Aitana, then you've got Patri, Alexia and Mariona.' England can expect long periods chasing the game on Sunday, so how can they cope? 'It's about being patient when we don't have the ball, not panicking and not getting frustrated,' Walsh said. 'We just have to be comfortable defending.' They will also have to channel the 'proper England' mantra that has underpinned their tournament. Grit, resilience and total commitment will be required against a technically immaculate team. 'The English mentality has been going through all our games and that's not going to change in the final,' Walsh said. 'If anything, we're going to be more proud to be representing our country.' Yet Walsh believes England cannot simply defend gallantly. Spain outclassed them in the 2023 World Cup final, in which England were seldom able to gain a foothold, despite the narrow 1-0 scoreline. The Lionesses were then overwhelmed by Spain in a 2-1 defeat in Barcelona last month. 'One thing I would take from the previous games against Spain is we've not been as confident as we could be on the ball,' Walsh said. 'That's also one of our strengths. We've got unbelievable players on the ball. We need to take more pride in that and keep the ball for longer periods.' Walsh has had a solid tournament. She has started every game, was player of the match against Wales and scored her second England goal against France. Off the pitch, she has decompressed with the help of Jill Scott, the former England midfielder and a fellow Euro 2022 winner. Scott has no official title but is a crucial morale-booster, with her and Walsh going out for dinner and talking about anything except football. The midfielder is also happy to be back living in England, having struggled to acclimatise in Barcelona. Nevertheless, she remains close to her old team-mates and is pleased to see them enjoying the tournament after their 2023 World Cup campaign was plagued by internal tensions and the controversy around Luis Rubiales's non-consensual kiss of Jenni Hermoso, which led to the resignation of the Spanish football federation's president. 'As a friend, fellow footballer and human being, I just want them to enjoy the game,' Walsh said. The bond with Sunday's opponents was forged during Walsh's struggles in Barcelona. She will always be grateful for their kindness, but that will not stop her competing furiously, relaying insider information and taking on that formidable midfield. 'I was used to living 20 minutes away from my family and always lived in Manchester, so at times it was difficult,' Walsh said of her days in Catalonia. 'But that's why I've got so many good friends on the Spanish team, because they always looked after me. 'Irene Paredes always invited me around for dinner with her family. When I wasn't feeling great, I was with Mariona. Those girls really spent time taking care of me. 'I've got a lot to say thanks for, but on Sunday we're rivals and I want to win.' Euro 2025 finalSunday, 5pmTV Live on BBC1 and ITV
Times
41 minutes ago
- Times
Be yourself, listen and give praise, including pats on your own back
The Lionesses' performance on the pitch at the Women's Euros may be grabbing the headlines but off the pitch, more women are moving into football management. As chief executive of Mansfield Town Football Club, Carolyn Radford is passionate about defending equality and fairness within the game. Here are her tips to build a winning team: 1. Avoid the 'Big I Am'. Never let power get to you. Take the time to talk to all staff; listen to new ideas and suggestions. It can be easy to think you know everything already. 2. Be yourself to get better results. You need to talk to all sorts of people with different personalities and putting on a work persona can make it more challenging. Be authentic. 3. Nobody owes you anything. You have to put in the work and the effort for success. If you want the best, set your own high standards, whatever industry. There's always someone who wants your job. Business is dog eat dog: use competition to drive yourself forwards. 4. Always be accessible. This is key to success; ensure that you're approachable and available to everyone. 5. Be grateful and give due praise. People would rather be around others who are positive, happy, self- reflective and progressive. People are more likely to comply and undertake what you ask, doing it well and with good grace if you're grateful and give due praise. 6. Be kind to yourself. You can spend a lot of time criticising yourself, especially women who still generally carry childcare and household burdens in addition to business. Give yourself a break and give yourself that pat on the back.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Napoli ready to hand Raheem Sterling transfer lifeline with Chelsea locked in talks over two MORE arrivals
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RAHEEM Sterling could be offered a Chelsea escape route by Napoli. But the Italian champions, who already have former Premier League stars Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour on their books, want a loan deal for Sterling on similar terms to Arsenal last season. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Chelsea are desperate to find a permanent home for the ex-England man Credit: Getty And Chelsea have made it clear that they want to find a permanent move for the former England international. Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen are also interested in Sterling, 30, who has two years left on his £325,000-per-week contract with the Blues. Chelsea paid a significant proportion of the ex Manchester City winger's wages after he joined Arsenal in a last-minute deal last summer. There may have to be compromise on all sides if Sterling is to relaunch his career away from Stamford Bridge again this year.. Napoli have turned their attention to Sterling after being frustrated in their efforts to sign winger Dan Ndoye from Bologna. Ndoye is also a target for Nottingham Forest and Napoli are losing patience with their Serie A rivals. Napoli offer Sterling a great example of how a new start abroad can work for Premier League stars. Former Manchester United midfielder McTominay in particular has reinvented himself as a hero in Naples after playing a key role in last season's success. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Meanwhile, in another frantic summer of coming and goings at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are locked in talks with Ajax over teenage defender Jorrel Hato. The Blues are thought to have indicated they are prepared to pay around £35m for Hato, 19. Man Utd hunting Jackson as Chelsea's demands revealed | Transfers Exposed But Ajax say they want £50m, and former player Danny Blind, who is in his second stint on the club's supervisory board, has a history of playing hardball. Back in 2022, Blind negotiated a deal with Manchester United for Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez which saw United pay an initial fee of £48.3m, rising to £56.7m. Chelsea are said to be moving closer to a deal for RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons. The Blues are yet to make a formal bid and Leipzig are said to be sticking to their £60m valuation of the Dutch international. But there is increasing confidence at Chelsea that a compromise will be reached and Simons will be added to the club's formidable array of attacking talent.
