Tag: England

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Netball

England Netball: 2025 International Window and who to watch 

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photo taken from @englandnetball on instagram

To round off 2025, the current number four faces New Zealand (current number 2) and Jamaica (current number 3). The squad will remain the same across the two series, but against Jamaica, Natalie Metcalf returns to the roses after her maternity leave. Imogen Allison misses out on selection this time round due to Injury. 

Squad: Halimat Adio (London Pulse – GK), Jaz Brown (NIC Leeds Rhinos – GK), Eleanor Cardwell (Manchester Thunder – GS/GA), Amy Carter (Manchester Thunder – C/WD), Beth Cobden (Loughborough Lightning – WD), Funmi Fadoju (London Pulse – GD/WD/GK), Sasha Glasgow (West Coast Fever (Australia) – GS/GA), Helen Housby (NSW Swifts (Australia) – GA/GS), Natalie Metcalf (Manchester Thunder – WA/GA – vs Jamaica only), Lois Pearson (Manchester Thunder – GA/WA), Razia Quashie (London Mavericks – GK), Emma Rayner (Manchester Thunder – WA/C), Jess Shaw (Loughborough Lightning – WA/C), Liv Tchine (London Pulse – GS) and Francesca Williams (West Coast Fever (Australia) – GD/GK) 

Vitality Netball International Series: 

England face New Zealand (world number 2) for the Vitality Netball International Series in Manchester and London.

They first face each other this weekend at the Copperbox Arena, London. 15th November sees the first test with a first centre pass at 5pm with the two returning the following day (16/11) with pass starting at 3pm. They finish the series in Manchester at the AO Arena on 19th November, with the first centre pass at 7pm. 

Vitality Netball Horizon Series: 

Jamaica are the next opponents for the Vitality Roses who currently sit 3rd in the World rankings. There will be two games in Jamaica and two games in England across two weeks. They first are tested in Kingston Jamaica on the 6th December with a start of 10.30pm before returning the following day to start at 11pm. 

The two then face off at the Copperbox in London across the 13th and 14th December (starting at 2.15pm and 2pm respectively). All games across the two series will be shown on Sky Sports for followers of the sport in the UK. 

photo taken from @englandnetball on instagram

Players to Watch across the series: 

Funmi Fadoju: 

After a stellar season with London Pulse in the Netball Super League, the defender looks to carry on what she started. Her performances on the pitch helped her pulse side win the treble for the first time of the new era (Super Cup, Regular League and Final). Her passing and defending, on and off the ball, makes her one to watch across the two series. 

Eleanor Cardwell: 

The shooter returned to Manchester for her third stint after being in Australia for two seasons (Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Mavericks respectively) ahead of the 2026 season. The shooter has won silver at the Netball World Cup and Netball Nations Cup as well as winning the NSL with Thunder on 4 occasions and her calm under pressure shooting will help the side against New Zealand and Jamaica respectively.

Jaz Brown: 

After her performances for Birmingham Panthers in 2025, she found her spot on the England Netball squad for the first time and moved to the NIC Leeds Rhinos for the 2026 season. The defender is clinical on the ball and challenges a number of shooters when in the circle to prevent goals raining in, proving her one to watch across the season. 

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England Women

Lucia Kendall: “I would love to get an opportunity and take everything in my stride.” 

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Lucia for the u23s | photo taken from @luciakendall on instagram

Lucia Kendall joined Aston Villa this summer from her childhood club, Southampton, and after her impressive start with her new side, Sarina Wiegman called up the youngster to the senior squad for the first time. 

When getting the all important call, she said “I was watching tv [when she got Sarina’s call] so I missed it! I got a message from Sarina so I called her back!” 

“I was surprised [about the call up] but I am excited!”

Hannah asked what it meant to her and her family about being called up to the squad: “I think it’s surreal and it doesn’t [really] feel true.” “The support that my family has shown me through so many years, to be able to call them and tell them that I’ve got a senior call up was pretty amazing.” 

“Just to see how proud they are of me as well. I want to pay them back and show them that all their dedication and stuff has got me here.” 

She watched her side win the European Championship in the summer and is enjoying being around the people who inspired her most. When walking into St George’s Park, you can see the European Championship Trophy and when speaking to the media about the Euros win, she said: “I think it’s surreal. I don’t think it’s really sunk in.” 

“I want to learn as much as possible. This team’s just gone and won back to back Euros so to be able to be in and around them and be in their environment is something I really didn’t think I’d get to do straight away and so soon.”

She wants to be pivotal in these homecoming series games and “wants to show what she’s about.” ”I would love to get an opportunity and take everything in my stride.” 

Lucia playing for Aston Villa | photo taken from @luciakendall on instagram

Her best piece of advice given in her career to date was: “It’s all about enjoying it! I play better when I enjoy playing and I’m not overthinking things.” 

“Being called up and moments like this remind you that these are the things you dreamt of when you’re a kid growing up.” 

The 21 year old midfielder made the switch to the midlands after making over 100 appearances for her old club Southampton, as well as sealing a non-league double in 2022. She scored 22 goals in 27 appearances for the south coast side and helped them reach WSL2 in the same year.

The move from Southampton to Villa has prepped her for another new environment and she likes to sit back and observe to find where she fits. She said to the media that she is “grateful for the trust Natalia [Arroyo] has had in me as a young player.” “ She is very passionate about the game.” 

Lucia said she “felt ready for the next step [on moving to Aston Villa in the summer]” She said the speed of the game is quicker and she sees herself naturally as a more defensive player but “wouldn’t pigeon hole herself to a set position.”

Kendall was previously in the under 23 set up and said “u23s have definitely prepared me well for this environment, I think they try and mirror as much as they can.” Coming into the senior set up: “the detail that the coaching staff and the players take in every aspect of the game has definitely struck me.” 

“There’s a clear pathway [to the senior set up]” “Players who have gone before me [Grace Clinton, Aggie Beever-Jones and Laura Blindkilde Brown], to know that the pathway is genuine is motivating and knowing if you take the right steps you’ll be given a chance.” 

“Both Laura [Blindkilde Brown] and Missy [Bo Kearns] have been really welcoming and good to me in this set up.” 

Outside of football, the youngster said “I take a while to come out of my shell, but when I do I’m probably a bit of an idiot.” She likes to keep her football stuff to football so when being away from it, she likes to play piano, cook, spend time with her family and friends and even has a degree in psychology. 

Lucia training | photo taken from @luciakendall on instagram

Categories
England Women

Esme Morgan: “Being on England camp feels like home”

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photo taken from @esme.morgan on Instagram

Following on from the success in the summer, she returned to America and helped her side, Washington Spirit, secure a play-off place but returned to England this break to help her international side in a number of friendlies. 

First up, she returns to her old stomping ground as England face Brazil at the Etihad Stadium. Esme is a lifelong Manchester City fan, and during her time with the blues she played a number of games at the Etihad which meant a lot to her younger self. When speaking to the media today at St George’s Park, she stated: “It’s very exciting for me being a lifelong City fan. It should be a great occasion!”

“It’s a special time for us to be able to come back and be in front of our fans again and celebrate what we did over the summer with those who possibly couldn’t have got out to Switzerland themselves.”

Esme as a young child and her at the Etihad | photo taken from @esme.morgan on Instagram

Millie Bright announced her retirement from International football prior to Sarina Wiegman’s squad announcement with this being the first squad after the news. Esme played with Bright for a number of years in the England senior set up and even faced up against her whilst she was playing in the Women’s Super League.

When at her first England camp, Millie made the effort to get to know her and made her feel settled and part of the team. Esme also stated that Millie was “rock” as a player and “reliable, dependable presence at the back.” 

“I feel very, very grateful to have been able to create memories together and learn from her both on and off the pitch.”

“She has a lot of passion for everyone in the squad achieving their best…we’ll miss her a lot and I just want to congratulate her on such an incredible career.”

Millie and Esme at Women’s World Cup 2023 | photo taken from @esme.morgan

In the 2024 Summer transfer window, she left her childhood club and headed out on new adventures to Washington Spirit in the NWSL. When playing in the NWSL, Esme said she can “challenge herself on a week to week basis through playing consistently against lots of different types of forwards.” 

After the win in Switzerland, she headed to the trophy parade at Buckingham Palace but shortly after the celebrations, she had to head back to the states to continue her NWSL campaign. She said to the media today that the Spirit girls celebrated the triumph with her and made her feel special. “It’s nice to be back in an England camp because it feels like home and she can reminisce over [the win] again properly.” 

This is the first time the players have returned since the European Championship win in July and when reflecting on the win, Esme said “It is nice to see euro [pean championship] branding everywhere, it feels pretty special!” 

On the following Tuesday, she and the rest of the England squad head to Derby as they face Australia, another few familiar faces for both herself and the England squad. After the games in England, she returns to the USA for the final stretch of NWSL games including their play off games. 

Esme with the winning medal | photo taken from @esme.morgan on Instagram
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Uncategorized

New faces and the ‘New Cycle: England’s squad named

Photo Credits: Martin Rickett

Sarina Weigman announced her 23-player squad ahead of the October international window. Who made the cut? Who will we see in the lineup? What did Sarina say about the fans? Here’s everything you need to know

Firstly, she spoke on Millie Bright’s international retirement, saying “she’s been huge for us, for me, for the team, on and off the pitch.”. She also mentioned her career as a whole, stating, “I’m just really grateful that I’ve been just a little bit part of her journey, and grateful that she’s been part of my team…”

There three new faces in the squad: Katie Reid, Taylor Hinds, and Lucia Kendall. Sarina spoke on each of them, saying, “We’re going into a new era. We’re going into a new cycle. Qualifying for the World Cup, hopefully, and then going to the World Cup. So I want to see talented players in some positions.”

A successful start of the season for Reid, playing in 5 and starting in 5. Sarina spoke on how impressed she was, saying, “This season, already of course, a couple of moments last season. She’s done good in the pathway too, and I just see some very good things on the pitch with her, and I hope she can show that in our environment too, because I’m excited to see her in our environment and how she relates to the other players in the squad.”

Taylor Hinds changed her allegiance to Jamaica in 2024, receiving her first call-up for the Reggae Girlz in October last year. A year on from that decision, she’s been called up to the Lionesses. Sarina stated, “At the same time, she’s really excited to come into our environment, too, and she feels connected with England, and she feels connected with Jamaica, which, of course, is totally understandable.”

A call-up that wasn’t on anybody’s radar saw Aston Villa’s Lucia Kendall receive her first senior Lionesses call-up. The manager spoke on why she called her up, “Well, really, it’s like her game understanding. Reading the game really well. Being tough in duels, but also in possession, doing well. I think her positioning, most of her positioning and game understanding, I thought, was really good”

Both Grace Clinton and Lucy Bronze made the cut but won’t be able to play full matches for the Lionesses. Sarina spoke on each of them, outlining, “No, they will not be able to play two games, two full games in a couple of days.” 

She also mentioned Grace Clinton, specifically stating, “Grace will be assessed this week. She had a minor injury… I just didn’t want to rule out, because it is a minor injury, and when she progresses really well, she can be available for us.”

She finally spoke about the fans and getting to go to stadiums around England. “It’s exciting. We haven’t played in Etihad, I think. So that’s exciting. Many people come watch us.”. She also commented on the fans as a whole and their support, emphasising, “We just grow. And we were overloaded in the stands all the time in that tournament, even when we were abroad.”