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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lucy Bronze, the Euro 2025 winner who played with a fractured leg: 'Was it worth it? Absolutely!'
Lucy Bronze put her hand to her head, looking tearful. Despite all her might, she hobbled off the pitch, unable to carry on for the last 15 minutes of extra time during the European Championship final. There was a chink in the indestructible warrior's armour. Little did we know the 33-year-old had been playing the entire tournament with a fractured tibia. One wonders how you even walk with a broken bone in your lower leg, let alone play 106 minutes in a Euro final and 598 across the tournament. Ask Lucy 'Tough' Bronze — her middle name taken from her mother Diane's maiden name. Tough by name, tough by nature. 'She has a crazy mentality; it's unbelievable,' said winning England manager Sarina Wiegman. Bronze, England's most decorated footballer and making her 36th appearance at a major tournament, the most of any England player, found out she had fractured her shin bone after England beat Portugal 6-0 on May 30. 'I knew I was in a lot of pain at the end of the (domestic) season,' she said, hobbling, a white bandage strapped round her right thigh, following England's historic penalty shootout win against Spain. And yet for two months, she carried on and started every game under Wiegman at Euro 2025. 'All the England players knew,' she said. 'Sarina (Wiegman) knew. I'll do anything to play for England. I've always said that.' Bronze took that literally. A fractured tibia was not going to stop her. She communicated her unbridled determination to her team by showing them a picture, which hangs in the team Dolder Grand's hotel in Zurich, of her being 'absolutely exhausted' after England lost to Sweden in the 2019 World bronze medal match. 'My 'why' has always been the same,' she said before the Sweden quarter-final. 'I'm very fortunate that my family get to follow me around and support me, but I'm someone who is based off of hard work and enjoying it. My 'why' was that I just love working hard and I love the game. It's as simple as that. Sometimes when the media gets involved and everything around the game (it affects my enjoyment), but I started playing football because I love it. That's literally it. When I loved it, I wanted to work hard. 'I will give anything and everything when I play in an England shirt. I wanted all the girls to know my why is to give everything for this team because I just love playing for England so much.' Bronze received a 'little bit' of pain relief but had to spread out her dosage of medication. She has not been training all the time with England but still started every game this tournament, playing 598 minutes. Only Hannah Hampton (630), Alex Greenwood (625), and Keira Walsh (599) played more minutes at Euro 2025. 'Lucy, I don't… I have no words,' said team-mate Jess Carter. 'Lucy Bronze is just… I don't even know. She's incredible. Also, so stubborn to continue playing when she can't run or walk. She'll find a way through. Stubborn is the first thing but she's a winner and winning is in her DNA. That's what she wants to do. We all know that she'll give absolutely everything for this team.' Bronze hauled England through to the semi-finals. Against Sweden, she strapped her own injured leg, scored the goal to get the Lionesses back in it, and dispatched the penalty that sent England into the semis at the end of a farcical shootout. Even Wiegman, who rarely speaks about individuals, described her as 'one of a kind'. 'She just gets on with it,' said Chelsea defender Niamh Charles. 'No one really truly knows how much she's dealing with. To play on, that is pretty incredible but if there was anyone to do it, it would have been her'. England's identity has been closely tied to the phrase 'proper England' and Bronze embodies that no-nonsense, steely mentality. 'Yeah proper, proper English,' said Charles. 'She's a credit to that and an England legend.' Bronze is no stranger to playing through pain, having done so throughout Euro 2022 and yet she remains one of England's cornerstones. Her superhuman efforts have kept competition at bay. 'Was it worth it? Absolutely!' said Bronze without hesitation. After the Lionesses' Euro 2022 triumph, the right-back was offended that anyone would question whether she would be with England at the following year's World Cup. 'I'm only 30,' she said. 'B****y hell! How many players retire at 30?' But when asked if she would go for an eighth tournament, namely the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, Bronze remained coy. 'What is it now? Seven? I've actually played in the Olympics,' she smiled, deftly rendering the question defunct. Unbeknown to the wider world, she has played through unimaginable pain when there was no guarantee of success. Call it foolish, stubborn or pure guts, there is no one like Bronze and there will never ever be again. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. England, International Football, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Lucy Bronze, the Euro 2025 winner who played with a fractured leg: 'Was it worth it? Absolutely!'
Lucy Bronze put her hand to her head, looking tearful. Despite all her might, she hobbled off the pitch, unable to carry on for the last 15 minutes of extra time during the European Championship final. There was a chink in the indestructible warrior's armour. Little did we know the 33-year-old had been playing the entire tournament with a fractured tibia. One wonders how you even walk with a broken bone in your lower leg, let alone play 106 minutes in a Euro final and 598 across the tournament. Advertisement Ask Lucy 'Tough' Bronze — her middle name taken from her mother Diane's maiden name. Tough by name, tough by nature. 'She has a crazy mentality; it's unbelievable,' said winning England manager Sarina Wiegman. Bronze, England's most decorated footballer and making her 36th appearance at a major tournament, the most of any England player, found out she had fractured her shin bone after England beat Portugal 6-0 on May 30. 'I knew I was in a lot of pain at the end of the (domestic) season,' she said, hobbling, a white bandage strapped round her right thigh, following England's historic penalty shootout win against Spain. And yet for two months, she carried on and started every game under Wiegman at Euro 2025. 'All the England players knew,' she said. 'Sarina (Wiegman) knew. I'll do anything to play for England. I've always said that.' Bronze took that literally. A fractured tibia was not going to stop her. She communicated her unbridled determination to her team by showing them a picture, which hangs in the team Dolder Grand's hotel in Zurich, of her being 'absolutely exhausted' after England lost to Sweden in the 2019 World bronze medal match. 'My 'why' has always been the same,' she said before the Sweden quarter-final. 'I'm very fortunate that my family get to follow me around and support me, but I'm someone who is based off of hard work and enjoying it. My 'why' was that I just love working hard and I love the game. It's as simple as that. Sometimes when the media gets involved and everything around the game (it affects my enjoyment), but I started playing football because I love it. That's literally it. When I loved it, I wanted to work hard. 'I will give anything and everything when I play in an England shirt. I wanted all the girls to know my why is to give everything for this team because I just love playing for England so much.' Bronze received a 'little bit' of pain relief but had to spread out her dosage of medication. She has not been training all the time with England but still started every game this tournament, playing 598 minutes. Only Hannah Hampton (630), Alex Greenwood (625), and Keira Walsh (599) played more minutes at Euro 2025. Advertisement 'Lucy, I don't… I have no words,' said team-mate Jess Carter. 'Lucy Bronze is just… I don't even know. She's incredible. Also, so stubborn to continue playing when she can't run or walk. She'll find a way through. Stubborn is the first thing but she's a winner and winning is in her DNA. That's what she wants to do. We all know that she'll give absolutely everything for this team.' they way georgia is dragging her 😭 — mac✨ (@espressobronze) July 28, 2025 Bronze hauled England through to the semi-finals. Against Sweden, she strapped her own injured leg, scored the goal to get the Lionesses back in it, and dispatched the penalty that sent England into the semis at the end of a farcical shootout. Even Wiegman, who rarely speaks about individuals, described her as 'one of a kind'. 'She just gets on with it,' said Chelsea defender Niamh Charles. 'No one really truly knows how much she's dealing with. To play on, that is pretty incredible but if there was anyone to do it, it would have been her'. England's identity has been closely tied to the phrase 'proper England' and Bronze embodies that no-nonsense, steely mentality. 'Yeah proper, proper English,' said Charles. 'She's a credit to that and an England legend.' Bronze is no stranger to playing through pain, having done so throughout Euro 2022 and yet she remains one of England's cornerstones. Her superhuman efforts have kept competition at bay. 'Was it worth it? Absolutely!' said Bronze without hesitation. After the Lionesses' Euro 2022 triumph, the right-back was offended that anyone would question whether she would be with England at the following year's World Cup. 'I'm only 30,' she said. 'B****y hell! How many players retire at 30?' But when asked if she would go for an eighth tournament, namely the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, Bronze remained coy. Advertisement 'What is it now? Seven? I've actually played in the Olympics,' she smiled, deftly rendering the question defunct. Unbeknown to the wider world, she has played through unimaginable pain when there was no guarantee of success. Call it foolish, stubborn or pure guts, there is no one like Bronze and there will never ever be again.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
England's Michelle Agyemang has an aura about her — you just know something special is coming
Watching back Michelle Agyemang's England debut against Belgium in the UEFA Nations League on April 8 is an entirely different experience now than it was when I saw that match live. Looking back on it, I feel like I was watching a movie. Specifically, seeing that short flash of a scene at the start of the film, which you know is important, but you just don't know yet how it all fits together. The kind that makes you say aloud, 'Oh! I get it,' when the credits start to roll. And although the story is not yet over for England, who face Spain in the European Championship final on Sunday in Basel, the picture is becoming clear. That April night in Leuven, 42 seconds into her first appearance for the senior national team, the 19-year-old scored to earn her ticket to Euro 2025. And head coach Sarina Wiegman became football's Steven Spielberg — an instant foreshadowing expert. England are in this final because of Wiegman's tactics; her ability to shift formation in the final phase of the game and adapt to adversity. A huge part of that flexibility is Agyemang, who has scored late in both knockout-stage matches to keep the holders' title defence alive: an 81st-minute equaliser against Sweden to help secure an eventual penalty shootout win, and again in the semi-final against Italy by making it 1-1 in the sixth minute of added time. But if you watched that Nations League match against Belgium, you shouldn't be surprised. She and Wiegman showed us that day exactly what they could do. Before that Belgium game in April, Arsenal academy graduate Agyemang had made just three Women's Super League starts, all while on loan at Brighton. So it was really what she did in that moment, producing a bit of magic when England needed it most, that secured her a place in the Euros squad ahead of more experienced options such as Nikita Parris and Fran Kirby. She can create something out of nothing, and that's what England need in games. I think of that singular moment that made five-time major tournament finalist coach Wiegman think, 'Wow. That kid can do something that nobody else can do. We might need that in a couple of moments this summer.' And she's proved that right. It starts with Agyemang's vision and what she brings to the game before she's even on the ball. That day against Belgium, when the corner goes in, she already has the good physicality to push the defender marking her off. She's obviously very good aerially, but I think this little push-off… bang check. If that fell to her, she would have had the extra yard. She then reacts to go to win the ball back. If she does not do that, her goal never comes. Below is where you see more of that natural spatial awareness. She went straight away to peel off the back shoulder. She is now tight, and then creates separation and now she peels… bang. Agyemang was expecting that pressure from the Belgians. She goes back on the defender again and stays in between. It's that ability to always stay in between. Someone gets tight, she goes back again. She's like a pendulum, swinging back and forth to find the half space and free herself from her marker. That is very impressive. On the goal itself, she even has the awareness to be on the back shoulder. Her touch and the finish that follows are just calm. Sometimes you know the ball is coming and you have time to land it on your foot, but you might rush it. It's just a pure calmness and composure all around that she doesn't get flustered. It's also a great ball in, from Leah Williamson, to find Agyemang in that space. It's what happened after that goal which solidified her Euros plane ticket for me — and probably Wiegman. Agyemang went and got the ball out of the goal, as if to say, 'Right, come on. Let's go.' This was her debut for England, but to her, it was a game that her team were 3-1 behind in and they had just got one back with nine minutes left. That mentality is there. That was the plane ticket — even encouraging the England fans. Momentum is massive. That, for me, would have been: Tick, tick, tick, tick. You're going to Switzerland. From movement to goal to celebration, Agyemang has a gift for being in the right place at the right time. It's not a fluke. It's her talent. She has this spatial awareness, calm and composed under pressure. While that goal wasn't enough to salvage the game against Belgium, it was the precursor to two crucial Euros-saving goals. What we saw from Agyemang against Sweden and then Italy was a player taking advantage of not being marked. However, she's always competing for the ball. Agyemang is always on the back shoulder. On the cross from Chloe Kelly in the 81st minute of the quarter-final, a lot of the effort comes from Beth Mead; however, Agyemang finds a way to be an extra body in the box and adjusts in real time. And more importantly, she shifts her feet well. She's really good at setting herself. When Mead heads it, Agyemang is still in the air. Then, when Mead wins it, Agyemang adjusts her feet quickly and finds the ball. It's a tidy finish. She's in the right place at the right time, again. It was a moment England needed to get the fans involved again. The atmosphere and energy really changed, and that got England through extra time and penalties. Agyemang, like Kelly before her, creates an aura as soon as she comes on the pitch. Fans, the opposition players, they all know something special is about to follow. And she's created that in her first major tournament. That's why, against Italy, it felt like there was more belief when she went on. She has an unbelievable ability to read where the ball lands. In that semi-final, once again, she's not marked. However, she knows where the inswinging cross is going. She knows she's not going to get there, so she anticipates where the goalkeeper is going to palm it. That is not a coincidence. That is her game intelligence. Seeing that the other two players are crashing in, she just hangs back. And then again, the calmness. She adjusts her feet, doesn't rush the finish, gets the right contact. People shouldn't underestimate that. Other players would rush, but that foot movement to get herself set is so good. There was one more bit of magic left in Agyemang during that game. In the 117th minute, England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton sends a long ball over the top, anticipating where she will go. A lot of credit should go to Hampton for challenging Agyemang to make that run. She's basically saying, 'I've seen you do it in training, now go show us.' You have to applaud the awareness and the confidence of Agyemang to try it. Awareness, confidence, pace, strength, technique, skill. She's just straight on it. Her shot ultimately clanked off the crossbar, but the idea was there. Could that be another moment teasing what's to come for a player who will be around for many more tournaments with England? During these Euros, Wiegman brought Agyemang on in the 70th minute against Sweden and the 85th against Italy. In both instances, she scored 11 minutes later. People are saying perhaps she should start the final tonight, but I wouldn't change her role. What I would do is bring her on a lot earlier. England are leaving it later and later. There were the same calls for Alessia Russo to start at Euro 2022 instead of Ellen White, but Weigman's plan worked perfectly then. Even as she does amazing stuff, to do it over 90 minutes in a major final against the world champions at age 19 is a very big ask. Weigman should stick with Russo to start. She's been phenomenal, too. Agyemang's role at the moment is working; leave it as it is. Just don't leave it as late. Spain keep the ball a lot longer. So if something is going wrong, I think Wiegman has to change it just a little bit earlier. There is pressure in the role Ageymang has taken, but when it's your first tournament, you don't really know everything that's going on, you just roll with it. It's in your second or third, when there's more expectation on you, that things start to feel heavy. For the first one, however, I hope she's enjoying it because everything is new and should be fun. You are going to be playing in a major final. Four years ago, she was throwing the ball onto the pitch as a ball girl at England games, and now she's on it as a player. You have to roll with that narrative — catch the reveal you should have seen coming all along and enjoy the show. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. England, International Football, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Starters v bench: the big selection decisions facing England in Euro 2025 final
England's performances at Euro 2025 have not always been pretty but a third successive major tournament final for the team and a fifth for the manager, Sarina Wiegman, is a phenomenal feat, and one that undermines suggestions that England have been fortunate. Ultimately, every great team benefits from a bit of luck, and England have something that sets them apart from many other sides: a hugely enviable squad depth that has powered them through to the final in Basel on Sunday. The success of 'the finishers' at Euro 2025 has had many wondering whether some of those players should, in fact, become starters, or at the very least get more minutes. Wiegman has waited later and later to make changes and, while it is hard to criticise a formula that has delivered, again, the question is whether England could have avoided back-to-back games going to extra time by making changes sooner or even from the start? And, as we look towards the final, what should Wiegman do now? Lauren James and Lauren Hemp have started every game for England in Switzerland with the former shifted from the middle to the right of Alessia Russo after the first game. Both have played well. However, the impact of both Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead when they have been called upon has been significant. Performing well off the bench is a skill and doing so is a bit of a double-edged sword. Kelly's best games in an England shirt have been as a substitute. Start her and you potentially lose the swagger and verve she brings in the tensest of moments. Meanwhile, Mead has flown under the radar a little but her crosses and positioning have proved very effective. With James withdrawn at half-time against Italy with an ankle issue there is concern about her availability for the final and she has struggled a little in this tournament, moments of blistering brilliance showing why there was a desire to rush her back to fitness after time out with a hamstring injury picked up in April. A straight swap of Mead for James may be needed because of fitness but even if the Chelsea winger is OK managing her minutes to get the best out of her in the final will be vital. Four games, three goals and two of them absolutely critical to ensuring England's progression to the final. Despite being given minimal time to work with – four minutes of normal time against France, 20 minutes of normal time against Sweden and five minutes of normal time against Italy – the 19‑year‑old Arsenal forward Michelle Agyemang has had quite the impact in Switzerland. There are calls for the young star to get a start, or more minutes, but are they premature? Russo may only have one goal and three assists in five games at the European Championship but the job she does for the team is about so much more than the goals. Against Italy, she struggled to get the service she needed and was forced to come deep or shift wide in search of the ball far too often. Agyemang, as Russo was in 2022, is partly effective because she is coming on against tiring legs and with an air of the unknown about her. Would she be as impactful from the start? Her track record suggests she would. However, more minutes and an earlier impact seems the more sensible option. Alternatively, the switch to a back three and two up front could be the key to unlocking England's opponents in the final. Jess Carter has had a tough time in Switzerland. Impressive performances against the Netherlands and Wales were bookended by woeful ones against France and Sweden. To her defence, against France she was played at left-back and looked far more comfortable when moved centrally. Meanwhile, with Alex Greenwood returning to a full-back berth she has not operated in for a long time, Carter's job on that side of defence has been a tougher one. Off the pitch she has also had to deal with horrific racist abuse online, which she spoke out about on Sunday, prompting the team and many others to rally around her and express their support. Esme Morgan was picked ahead of Carter for the game against Italy, with the Gotham FC centre-back coming on for her 50th cap later in the game. Morgan's performance in her first start at a European Championship was not perfect but it was quietly impressive and her pace is likely to win the race to start in the final. Carter did struggle against the quick Swedish forwards in the quarter-finals. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Ella Toone and Georgia Stanway have been the pair to partner Keira Walsh in midfield throughout. Toone has had a very solid tournament with two goals and two assists. Against Sweden and Italy, though, England st ruggled to get a hold of the game in the middle, often looking a little lightweight and losing possession too easily. Grace Clinton has played 60 minutes across the tournament and offers a battling and physical presence, something Stanway in particular is usually known for. However, Stanway has looked a little off colour in Switzerland. Toone and Stanway have the ability and track record to show they can step up in the biggest games but Clinton and the livewire Jess Park deserve a shot off the bench sooner rather than later in the final, where the midfield battles will be key and maintaining the press can be exhausting.
National Post
21-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Former England star Paul Gascoigne recovering after collapse at home
LONDON — Paul Gascoigne is recovering in hospital after the former Tottenham and England star collapsed at his home. Article content Gascoigne was rushed to hospital by his driver and assistant Steve Foster, who found the 58-year-old in a semi-conscious state in his Dorset house. Article content Article content 'Paul is in hospital, which is the best possible place for him to be right now,' Foster told The Sun newspaper. Article content Gascoigne was reportedly admitted to an intensive care ward after being discovered on Friday, but later moved to an acute medical unit, where his condition is said to be stable. Article content Foster said Gascoigne would 'like to thank everyone for the support he's received so far from so many old friends who wish him well and want to see him back to his best.' Article content One of the most naturally gifted footballers of his generation, Gascoigne played for Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough and Everton. Article content He was capped 57 times by England, becoming a global star after his brilliant form at the 1990 World Cup in Italy reached a tearful crescendo with his emotional reaction to a yellow card, which would have ruled him out of the final, in a last four loss against West Germany. Article content Gascoigne also starred for England during their run to the Euro 96 semi-finals, where they again lost to Germany on penalties. Article content The midfielder's issues with alcohol addiction and depression are well-documented and he has suffered a series of health problems in recent years.
