England ‘put on a show' and send message to rivals in Euro 2025 send-off

Independent

a day ago

There were fireworks over Leicester. The Lionesses will hope they seen more over Basel in four weeks' time. The tests will only get tougher, starting against France in their Euro 2025 opener on Saturday, but England ensured they enjoyed their send-off with a thumping win over Jamaica at the King Power.
It can sometimes be hard to tell just how much to take from a friendly of this nature, and what was clear from this 7-0 win was that a depleted Jamaica provided a demonstration to anyone at Euro 2025 of how to not play against England. The European champions and holders, though, displayed just how much quality they possess when they are allowed time and given options. 'We should take a lot of confidence [from the result],' Leah Williamson said. 'We wanted to move the ball, put on a show.'
With heavyweights in France and Netherlands up first at the Euros, the only opposition England are likely to face in Switzerland who would potentially mirror Jamaica's approach is Wales, who sit deep in an organised block and look to counter with pace. Jamaica, though, were missing a number of key players, including record scorer and captain Khadija Shaw and goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer, and, while they indeed set up in a defensive 4-4-2, it provided little resistance to England surging forward.
Keira Walsh might have thought her days of being able to sit in front of England's centre-backs and spray passes from holding midfield were over, given the careful attention opponents usually allocate to shutting down the reliable dictator of England's rhythm. Not here, with Walsh able to face forward, look up, pull out a lawn chair and gaze at the options in front of her. Unsurprisingly, when Walsh is afforded that time on the ball and Williamson can also thread passes through the lines from defence, England's threats begin to spring up from all angles.
Again, it won't be this easy at the Euros, but two players in particular were key to how the Lionesses were able to routinely pick Jamaica apart. With Lauren Hemp and Beth Mead out wide and Walsh locked and loaded from deep, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone could find the pockets of space to receive the passes from Walsh or Williamson to pull Jamaica from their rigid shape. Once England bypassed that first wave of Jamaica's block, the Lionesses began to flow and, more often than not, it was Stanway and Toone getting on the end of their chances. "We enjoyed that game today,' Toone said.
Toone scored twice in the first half, then Stanway added a fourth on the hour-mark, with the sort of thumping finish that released all the frustration of four months on the sidelines due to a knee injury. Stanway looked well rested, though, completing her first full match since returning from injury and offering tireless runs into the channels. Toone, too, showcased her scoring threat. Her first was set up by Stanway on the edge of the box, with her shot taking the slightest deflection. The second came from Walsh's switch from left to right, but was finished superbly by Toone off the post.
Then, when Jamaica looked as if they had endured quite enough, Wiegman brought on Lauren James for her first minutes since April. Some of James' team-mates have noticed how she too looks refreshed after some time out due to a hamstring injury, and how it could be a blessing in disguise ahead of the Euros. 'Good luck to anyone who has to face her at the tournament,' Jess Carter said on Saturday. And, in a timely half-hour, James showcased why, with the languid, relaxed shape of her body as she bent delicious, inviting crosses into the box. Russo couldn't resist, and added England's fifth from James' left-footed inswinger.
Toone was one of two changes made by Weigman from England's 2-1 defeat in Spain at the start of the month. The other, Carter, is in direct competition with Niamh Charles to start England's opening game against France on Saturday and came away with an assist for Lucy Bronze's back-post header. If the 27-year-old is selected ahead of Charles for the Euros, it will be because of her defensive abilities, but her floated cross to set up England's second of the match was excellent and, for Carter, undoubtedly a bonus.
Carter's crunching and perfectly timed challenge on Kameron Simmons in the penalty box, following a Jamaica break, was a more familiar example of why she may start against France, though there was also a slight mix-up Keira Walsh that ended up leading to Jamaica's disallowed equaliser. In what was their first attack, England switched off defending the corner, a well-worked routine from Jamaica, but there was a let off as Kalyssa Van Zanten was blocking Hannah Hampton's sight from an offside position.
Hampton had very little else to do, and it was notable that Wiegman did not take the opportunity to offer either Khiara Keating or Anna Moorhouse their first international cap from the bench: should either be forced into action at the Euros, they will be making their England debuts in the deep end of a major tournament.
That also continued a theme from Wiegman's team selection: there are seven players in England's squad who will be heading to their first major tournament in Switzerland, but it was only Hampton from that contingent that made the starting line-up. For all of their influence in England's recent Nations League campaign, the likes of Grace Clinton and Jess Park are, for now, just short of a place in England's strongest team. The 'new' Lionesses may still have an impact, but it will likely come from the bench.
Though England have strength and options there, and that wasn't the case 12 months ago. Against Jamaica, Wiegman was able to bring on not just James, but Chloe Kelly, Clinton and Aggie Beever-Jones, who scored England's sixth by finishing a cross from another substitute in Niamh Charles. And there were smiles as England headed on their final walk of appreciation. The only thing that could have soured it would have been an injury, and there was a slightly worrying moment as Mead stayed down holding her. But, as if to sum up England's evening, Mead jumped up to score England's seventh and complete the rout.