Leah Williamson will make her first start for England in nearly a year when they face the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old has not featured for the Lionesses since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in April 2023, which forced her to miss last summer’s World Cup.
She was included in Sarina Wiegman’s squad for England’s European Championship 2025 qualifiers this month and was an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw against Sweden last Friday.
Wiegman confirmed in her press conference on Monday that Williamson would start in their upcoming fixture.
Williamson said: “Who I am on the pitch, who you’ve always seen on the pitch is exactly what I was off the pitch. I don’t think I was a calming presence for anyone during the World Cup, especially.
“I’ve enjoyed watching the girls. I’ve enjoyed being a part of that journey in a different way. I’ve got people that play for the team that are very important to me. It has been a difficult journey. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t the thing that I’d had my focus on. This is where I wanted to get back to. I wanted to be good enough to get back into this squad. I had some of the best memories of my life as part of this team.
Williamson captained England to Euros glory in 2022 (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
“It was emotional on Friday for me (being on the bench against Sweden). I’m an emotional person. We’ve all seen me cry on many occasions. If there’s a team that you want to be in in the world, I think the Lionesses will be up there and I love playing for England.
“Being at the World Cup final and sitting next to Jill Scott was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made in my whole life. Not being at the World Cup final, just sitting next to Jill. I just live and breathe it. I love playing for England, but I also love watching England. I was not a calming presence, as I’m probably known for on the pitch, but not on the sidelines.”
Williamson also complemented her England team-mates by saying the “level of performance” within the squad “is so high”, adding “I’ve known that there’s pressure to reach a certain level and I’ve been chasing that the whole time”.
Williamson has been named in Wiegman’s last two squads but was forced to withdraw from February’s camp due to a hamstring injury.
She has featured on four occasions in the Women’s Super League (WSL) for Arsenal this season.
England are third in the qualifier standings in Group A3 after one match, two points behind France who defeated the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in their opening game.
GO DEEPER
Williamson ‘ready’ to feature for England after Arsenal injury scare
(Julian Finney/Getty Images)
