May 2025-
The May-June 2025 international camp was the most turbulent of Wiegman’s tenure, by far, amid three high-profile withdrawals, for three different reasons. Mary Earps retired from England duty, and the sadness of Wiegman’s face was unmistakable as she discussed the matter, in possibly the most cagey of her press conferences to date, the head coach saying: “I don’t give any information about these private conversations.” Soon after, Fran Kirby also ended her England career, after Wiegman – typically direct and honest – had explained she would not pick her for the Euros. When Bright withdrew from Euros selection the next day to look after her mental health and an exhausted knee, suddenly there were suggestions of a crisis, but Wiegman produced a defiant performance at her squad-announcement press conference and switched the mood.
“I don’t go around the bush,” she said, of the way she handles conversations with players. Behind the scenes, as England arrived at St George’s Park for their Euros training camp, the mood began to lift. Hemp, Stanway and crucially James were fit-again, and a morale-boosting 7-0 victory over Jamaica meant England flew to Switzerland full of confidence. TG
