In less than a month, the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 will get underway in Switzerland, marking the start of an exciting summer of top-tier football. With sixteen top nations taking part, Sarina Wiegman’s England must reach new heights to retain their title as European Champions.
Each squad consists of twenty-three players, seven experiencing their first major tournament on the international stage. In the lead-up to the Euros, these rising stars are igniting excitement and anticipation among fans. This new look for England is full of potential, and hungry to fly home with another European trophy.
Ahead of the Lionesses’ dominant 6-0 UEFA Women’s Nations League clash against Portugal, we caught up with fans to hear which rising stars they believe are lighting up the national team. Could these emerging talents be the key to England’s success in the upcoming tournament? Here’s what supporters outside Wembley had to say before the squad was announced.
Aggie Beever-Jones
Chelsea youngster Aggie Beever-Jones was selected as a promising young player by several fans. Aged just twenty-one, her attacking threat and clinical finishes have captured the nation’s attention.
Lionesses’ fan, Abbie chose Beever-Jones as her young talent for England. She expressed how the Chelsea star has been
“really good in the WSL and is an amazing player all round. She’s quite a young player as well so it’s pretty good that she’s growing with the Lionesses.”
Beever-Jones has made thirty-four appearances for the Blues this season, across three major competitions: the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL), the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL), and the Women’s League Cup. Despite facing fierce competition for minutes against some of the biggest names in the women’s game, Beever-Jones made her mark – scoring an impressive twelve goals across all competitions.
However, the youngster has not only had an impact for her club, but also her country. In July 2024, Beever-Jones made her England debut against the Republic of Ireland. Nine months later, she scored her first goal for the Lionesses in an outstanding 5-0 win against Belgium. But her ambition did not stop there. Only a month later, she made her first senior start in style with a thirty-minute hattrick at Wembley.
Whilst she is competing with England player of the year and UWCL winner, Alessia Russo, the Chelsea forward secured her place in the squad and status as a top striker. In a recent press conference, Wiegman said she had no intention of starting Beever-Jones over Russo against Spain in the Nations League; however, there is no doubt she will feature in many of the Lionesses’ fixtures this summer.
Will she be the super-sub they need to cause problems for the opposition’s defence? Or will she come on and score a winning goal, or her second senior hattrick?
Grace Clinton
Another young player who has worked her way into the senior squad is Grace Clinton. Following her breakthrough season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur in 2023/24, the Manchester United midfielder has built a strong reputation for herself.
Outside Wembley, England fan Eleanor knew straight away who her rising star for England is.
“Definitely Grace Clinton, because she’s such a role model for everyone. Her energy is amazing on the pitch, and I think she can make a huge difference to the team.”
When describing her in one word, “powerful” came to mind.
In the WSL this season, Clinton featured in twenty-one matches for her club. Despite her role as a central midfielder, she also scored eight goals from attacking play. Whilst she was key to Spurs’ success last season, reaching the Adobe Women’s FA Cup final for the first time and securing their highest league finish to date, these experiences have proved vital in her contributions to Manchester United.
Her prowess on the pitch is not only apparent for her club, but also for her country. During her season at Spurs, Clinton earned her first senior England call-up. Her debut was nothing short of a dream, as she found the back of the net just nineteen minutes into open play, making an immediate impact.
Her commanding presence in midfield and unwavering passion for the game have captivated numerous fans – but has she done enough to secure a spot in Wiegman’s starting eleven this summer?
Michelle Agyemang
When it comes to young talent, Michelle Agyemang’s name is impossible to ignore. At just nineteen, the youngest in the squad, these past few months have been nothing short of a dream come true.
Two Lionesses fans have singled out Agyemang as the squad’s rising star. Liya, one of them, highlighted how:
“getting that debut goal super quick” instantly marked her as a player to watch.
She then went on to express that she is:
“creative, fast, and definitely an asset to this team.”
Another Lioness fan, Lauren, could only praise the youngster.
“Her last time out she really made an impact, scoring the final goal. I think since then she’s been quite standout to everyone. She is everywhere.”
Agyemang has now returned to Arsenal, following her season on loan with Brighton and Hove Albion.
On an international level, Agyemang has been a regular in the U-19 Lionesses squad in recent months. Whilst the forward was expected to develop through the youth ranks, up to the U-23s with England, she was thrown in the deep end by Wiegman. In April, due to an injury on camp, a spot became available, and the head coach took a gamble on young talent. Agyemang made the most of the opportunity and stunned England fans, scoring after just forty-one seconds on the pitch.
With only one senior cap, Wiegman is putting her faith in the young striker. Could she make an instant impact once again for the Lionesses, scoring a crucial goal in the tournament?
Maya Le Tissier
One young player that cannot go unmentioned is Manchester United’s Captain, Maya Le Tissier. Despite making her England debut in November 2022, the defender has never featured in a major international tournament.
Aged only twenty-three, the centre-back has stepped into a leadership role for her club this season. In fact, she has featured in every single fixture for Manchester United in the 2024/25 season, racking up an insane number of minutes in red. She played a vital role in one of the Red Devil’s best seasons yet, securing a third-place finish in the WSL and a spot in next season’s UWCL group stages.
Le Tissier has been a consistent choice in Wiegman’s England squad selection for the last few years. Although she narrowly missed out on a spot in the 2023 UEFA Women’s World Cup squad, this setback only fuelled the defender’s determination and drive.
While Wiegman typically has a wealth of defensive options, recent squad changes have paved the way for a fresh starting back four. Just weeks before the final selection, Vice-Captain Millie Bright made the selfless decision to withdraw, creating a valuable opportunity for her teammates to rise to the occasion.
Now, the question remains: will Le Tissier elevate her game even further to secure her spot amid fierce competition?
The Future of England
With so much young talent in the squad, do England have what it takes to go all the way and claim back-to-back Euro titles? Could these rising stars be the game-changers in the nation’s campaign this summer?
These players are undoubtedly ones to watch – bringing a fresh, dynamic energy that inspires the next generation of young girls dreaming of their own Lionesses debuts. But the big question remains: can they lead their team to ultimate victory?
