Karen Carney: England's Lauren Hemp is world class. It's time to call her that
She wasn't the sole factor. She didn't even know about my decision at the time. But when I saw her up close in training at the 2019 SheBelieves Cup in the U.S., I knew the future of the Lionesses had arrived.
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Tonight, England will play France as they begin their European Championship title defence. It will be Hemp's second Euros and a third major tournament in four years. She'll likely line up on the left wing and make an instant impact for the team, just as she did at the Women's World Cup in 2023 and the Euros the year before.
The thing about Hemp is everyone talks about her being a top player, but she deserves to be mentioned as one of the best in the world — not 28th in the Ballon d'Or ranking as she was in 2024.
Whether it's sending in the corner that sets up Chloe Kelly to create a winning goal in front of 87,000 people at Wembley in the final of the Euros or her effective dribbling and creative playmaking, Hemp is an engine that makes England's attack work. Fellow forward Beth Mead said in that same tournament it was Hemp's work on the opposite flank that helped her become the joint top goalscorer. Hemp drawing players out to the left enabled Mead to sneak in on the right and score.
I went into 2019 knowing the end of my playing career was near. Former England head coach Phil Neville selected Hemp for the SheBelieves Cup training squad that year to give the teenager first-hand experience.
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At that 2019 camp, we played a little rondo after one of the games. It had been a bit of a blowout — we ended up taking home the trophy over the United States, Japan and Brazil. Hemp moved the ball. She dropped her shoulders and had a little touch. It was so graceful, so easy and so fast. I thought, 'Wow, she's the future, and I can't physically match where she is.' I knew at that moment she was something special.
That was a humble realisation.
I'd seen Hemp make her way through Bristol City at 16 to join the Manchester City squad at 18. She has played a lot of senior football at a young age and still has some of her best years ahead of her.
Three years later, I was on the side of the pitch for England's 4-0 semi-final win over Sweden at Bramall Lane. My playing career had ended as expected, and I was watching from the sidelines in a new role. I remember giving her a massive hug. I kept saying, 'Come on, you can do it. You can do it. You're a top player.' She was 22.
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Hemp was brilliant at the Women's World Cup the next year, having to tap in to her versatility when Sarina Wiegman changed her position. Playing as the centre-forward, I think she got the best out of team-mate Alessia Russo in giving her a strike partner to work off. The change was initially due to injuries across the England squad, but the forwards ended up complementing each other well, giving England another viable attacking option.
But returning to the Euros this year wasn't a given.
Hemp missed five months with Manchester City last season after undergoing surgery for a knee injury. She only returned in April. That time was enough to record eight assists across 10 matches. It was also enough to impress Wiegman and maintain her as a nailed-on starter when fit — her versatility to also act as a back-up striker remains a huge plus.
Hemp's injury absence could also work in England's favour with her hunger fresh and her fitness up to speed. Matched up against France's right back Elisa De Almeida, I think Hemp has an advantage.
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In France's last few games, De Almeida has been really aggressive with how she goes forward and leaves a lot of space on the left. If England can get the ball to Hemp and exploit De Almeida down that side, England could really get at France.
But Hemp's biggest strength is her speed. I would love to put a GPS on her to see if she's quicker with the ball than on a sprint. She's probably one of the fastest dribblers around, yet she doesn't overdribble. Being a former winger, I know how difficult that can be.
Sometimes when you're a fast winger, you can tend towards thinking, 'I'll go one more player, I'll go five more yards. I'll go 10 more yards.' Yet Hemp's decision-making is top tier. With City, and being the type of winger she is, I have wondered if she really suits their style of play. But the City structure of possession-based football does mean she has developed that side of her game and is really steady in possession.
She's tidy, she's slick, she works really hard and she's adding a lot more goals to her game. Sometimes, out of possession, she has a tendency to jump too soon and can improve her defending from the front. But if you give her clear information, she can pick it up quickly.
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Her value to England is clear. Wiegman has built line-ups around her. When we are predicting the starting XI on the pre-match show, left wing is never the question. We talk about who will play on the right, as the No 10, left-back or even in midfield. But if Hemp is fit, she plays.
This will be the most competitive Euros to date. The gap between the best and the rest is narrowing. (Just look at Finland winning a first major tournament match since 2009 and Italy holding off Belgium.) This will only broaden the spotlight on players waiting in the wings for their moment.
Hemp has been on that edge of something special since I first lined up against her in training six years ago. And even though she is still young, I think we need to be talking about her more. I'm not going to bring other players down, but that Ballon d'Or rank was astonishing for someone who had helped carry England to a World Cup final.
I saw Hemp at the beginning of her career as I was approaching the end of mine. Remembering her as a 16-year-old, I hope that when she's 50 and retires she has everything that she wants in her trophy cabinet and the respect and the kudos she deserves. I don't she could be one of the best players in the world; she already one.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
England, International Football, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros
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