Sarina Wiegman shuts out ‘noise’ after chaotic 10 days as Lionesses prepare to go on attack at Euro 2025 | OneFootball

Wiegman insists England remain on track for Euros defence despite retirements and withdrawals

It is 10 years since Sarina Wiegman coached at her first major tournament and all that experience was on show as she named her England squad for Euros 2025.

The 55-year-old Lionesses boss was at ease during her press conference at St George’s Park, handling questions about a crisis in camp and her own methods with a smile.

As Wiegman put it, there is “always noise” before a major tournament - although surely she has never experienced as much as this.

“We just have to deal with it and move on, and focus on football,” said Wiegman. “We expect noise until we go into the tournament.”

The absence of Fran Kirby, Mary Earps and Millie Bright means this is an England squad that looks light on experience.

Indeed, only 13 of the 23 players picked by Wiegman were part of the squad that won the Euros three years ago.

Seven of the 23, including Arsenal’s 19-year-old striker Michelle Agyemang, are appearing at a major tournament for the first time.

That, coupled with a disrupted build-up, gives the feeling that England are something of an unknown quantity going into this tournament.

Wiegman admitted on Thursday she does not yet know what her starting XI is, which is in stark contrast to three years ago.

England named the same XI for every game at Euro 2022, while the substitutes in each match were almost identical too.

That doesn’t feel like it will be the case this time. This is a top-heavy squad, one with five midfielders but seven forwards.

England have plenty of firepower, especially if Lauren James is fit for the opener with France on July 5, but if Georgia Stanway or Keira Walsh get injured then there will be a gaping hole in the middle of the pitch.

You would back Wiegman to find a solution though just like she did two years ago at the World Cup.

The answer then was to move to back-three in defence when Walsh got injured in the second game of the tournament. England made it all the way to the final, before narrowly losing to Spain.

Wiegman’s tournament record as a head coach is unrivalled. In all four of her tournament appearances, she has always made the final.

Doing so again, after this build-up, would be a major achievement.