The Chelsea goalkeeper started a first competitive international match in two years this week, with Sarina Wiegman noting an increase in competition
After the heartbreak of seeing their Olympic dream die in December, England were back in competitive action this past week for the first time since that disappointing Women's Nations League campaign and, in truth, it feels like a lot of the issues that plagued the Lionesses in that competition are lingering after an underwhelming, albeit unbeaten, start to their Euro 2025 qualifiers.
A relatively comfortable 2-0 win over Ireland on Tuesday was the perfect tonic for a disappointing draw with Sweden at Wembley four days prior, but there are perhaps more questions around England than there are answers at the moment. Things will not get easier for them when they return to action in May either, as a double-header with France awaits.
That said, there were also several positives for the Lionesses and their head coach Sarina Wiegman to take out of the April international break. With there the safety net of play-offs if they do fail to finish in the top two in their qualifying group too, it doesn't feel like they are on the brink of something devastating, which was the case at times in the Nations League.
So, as these international stars prepare to return to their clubs, who had a good England camp and who didn't? GOAL picks out the winners and losers from the Lionesses' first two Euro qualifiers…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Hannah Hampton
For a long time, Mary Earps' place as England's No.1 has been incredibly secure. The Manchester United star has shone for her country at back-to-back major tournaments, playing a huge role in their European Championship triumph in 2022 as well as last year's run to the World Cup final, putting in performances that have also earned her a lot of trust from Wiegman.
However, Hannah Hampton's form at club level in recent months has raised serious debate over who should be the Lionesses' first-choice goalkeeper, simply because she has been so impressive for Chelsea. In February, it felt like she confirmed her status as second-choice, having been third in the pecking order for a while, but the competition for the No.1 spot seemed to increase during this international break.
For Wiegman to give Hampton a chance in a friendly in February was one thing, but to play her in a competitive fixture on Tuesday against Ireland was another altogether. It was the first time since September 2022, when Ellie Roebuck played against Luxembourg, that Earps wasn't England's starting goalkeeper for a competitive match, and Hampton's first appearance in a game of such meaning since April 2022.
"I think we're in a very luxury position that we have two incredible goalkeepers," Wiegman told. "As we have seen [with] Mary [on] Friday, she did an incredible job, but I also think that Hannah's doing a great job with Chelsea, she's growing into competition with Mary, so this is a moment for her to shine."
It wasn't Hampton's best performance in Dublin, with some shaky moments here and there, but she's clearly closing the gap to Earps in the race to be England's No.1.
AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Lucy Bronze
There have been a few critics of Lucy Bronze for a while now, and those voices grew louder during this international break. Against Sweden last Friday, the Barcelona defender failed to check her shoulder, allowing club-mate Fridolina Rolfo to sneak into the box undetected and head home an equaliser at the back post. Four days later, in victory over Ireland, Bronze didn't make any damning errors, but she wasn't at her best in a performance characterised by poor touches and misplaced passes.
It's no secret that England lack competition at right-back, with them generally lacking full-backs altogether. In her April squad, Wiegman's other options were Esme Morgan, who can play anywhere across the back line but hasn't started a match for Manchester City since November; Jess Carter, who almost exclusively plays as a centre-back for Chelsea nowadays; and Niamh Charles, an attacking midfielder or winger who has been converted into a left-back with the Blues and, in turn, England.
If Wiegman did opt to give Bronze some time out of the XI, she wouldn't have many decent choices. But it does feel like the 32-year-old's form could develop into a problem for the Lionesses if it continues in this manner.
GettyWINNER: Leah Williamson
After a hamstring problem delayed her return in February, Leah Williamson finally pulled on that England shirt again this week for the first time in 12 months. It's been an incredibly tough year for the Arsenal defender after a devastating ACL injury robbed her of the chance to captain her country at a World Cup, one they ultimately reached the final of, but she described her return to Lionesses action on Tuesday as the "completion" of her road back.
"Honestly, I just really, really love playing for England," she told . "When I put this badge on, I feel 10 times taller, 10 times stronger." Asked what got her through the dark moments of her recovery, she replied: "This. I had my eyes set on this. I wanted to be good enough to play for England again. The standards are so high and the players that have been here have made them higher. This was the thought, so I feel like today is sort of a completion of that journey."
What made this camp even better for Williamson was that it produced what was probably her best performance post-ACL, with her a calm and commanding presence in the 2-0 win over Ireland on Tuesday. It's not easy for any player to get back to their best after such a setback, but this was a really positive week for the defender in her bid to do so.
GettyLOSER: Chloe Kelly
After losing her place in Manchester City's starting XI, this was a camp where Chloe Kelly would hope to send a message to her club, to show what she was all about and gain a bit of momentum to take back to the north west with her. However, it didn't turn out to be the fruitful camp she'd have wished for.
Having been a regular starter for the Lionesses throughout their Nations League campaign at the back end of 2023, Kelly found herself on the bench for these two fixtures and was granted a total of just 15 minutes across both games as a substitute, which wasn't enough time for her to make any sort of impact on either occasion.
It's a difficult moment for the winger right now. There's no denying her talent and quality, but she finds herself on the outside looking in at the starting XI for club and country. All she can do is focus on working hard on the training pitch and hope that leads to greater opportunities to prove her worth.