Leah Williamson did her best to hold back the tears as the open-top buses carrying England’s heroes made their way up The Mall.
By the time the Lionesses captain and her team-mates were on the stage in front of Buckingham Palace, though, Williamson was “in the trenches” as she looked out at the 65,000 fans in attendance.
“This is unbelievable,” she said. “This is one of the best things we have ever been a part of, so thank you for coming out. Everything we do, obviously we do it for us and our team, but we do it for the country and we do it for young girls.”
Three years ago, when the Lionesses were crowned European champions on home soil, around 7,000 were in Trafalgar Square to celebrate with them the next day. This parade was nearly 10 times that size, and like nothing the women’s game has seen before — including Sarina Wiegman dancing and singing on stage with Afrobeats artist Burna Boy.
The celebrations will live long in the memory, but Williamson stressed they won’t be the last. Composing herself, she finished with a telling line: “Stay with us — this story is not done yet.”
Left-field thinking
The next challege for the Lionesses is the 2027 World Cup in Brazil and they will head there aiming to continue their fairytale journey by lifting the trophy.
The squad will inevitably evolve before then, just as it did after England won Euro 2022. Only 13 players from that group were part of this summer’s success in Switzerland.
Wiegman has never shied away from making bold decisions, and she showed that before the tournament in Switzerland by dropping goalkeeper Mary Earps in favour of Hannah Hampton.
Hampton repaid that faith with a brilliant Euros, capped by a heroic performance in the final’s penalty shootout, and, at 24, she is well placed to make the No1 shirt her own for years to come.
The defence ahead of her, though, is entering a period of transition. Millie Bright missed the tournament due to mental and physical fatigue, and it remains to be seen when, and if, the centre back returns to the fold.
Even if she does, Bright will be 33 by the time the World Cup in Brazil rolls around, with the likes of Jess Carter and Esme Morgan among the leading candidates to partner Williamson instead.
Left-back Alex Greenwood will also be 33 in 2027, while on the other flank Lucy Bronze will be 35. Both have enjoyed glittering careers and have given no indication they are ready to retire from international football. Even if they had reduced roles, their experience could prove invaluable, as was the case with Jill Scott at Euro 2022.
Still, competition is coming. Given Bronze played all through this Euros with a fractured tibia, it is impossible to write her off, but both she and Greenwood will have to fend off those coming through.
Niamh Charles has played multiple positions during her career, but it may be wise for her to focus on playing left-back, her clearest path into the starting XI.
On the right, Wiegman is known to be a fan of Maya Le Tissier, the Manchester United captain, while Tottenham’s Ella Morris is another promising prospect. Morris was in contention for a spot in this summer’s squad, but she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee at the end of May.
Strengthening the left side of England’s defence is Wiegman’s biggest task over the next two years. England kept just one clean sheet during the Euros and all four of the goals they conceded during the knockout stage came down their left flank.
Wiegman is not blessed with options there and it has been a problem area throughout her reign, mainly due to the lack of a natural left-back.
Forwards to fight it out
The situation in attack is the opposite, with England boasting an abundance of talent and young players coming through.
Michelle Agyemang won Young Player of the Tournament after scoring in both the quarter-final and semi-final. Still only 19, it is exciting to think how much she could develop — especially as she can learn from Alessia Russo at Arsenal.
Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones will also offer competition and cover, with Emma Hayes tipping her for greatness before she took the USA job. “Don’t forget that name,” said Hayes. “She’s going to be a legend, not just for Chelsea, but for England.”
Hayes is also a big believer in Lauren James who, like at the World Cup, showed flashes of brilliance at this Euros but struggled for consistency. Injuries continue to hamper her, and staying fit is just as vital as Wiegman working out how to get the best out of the 23-year-old.
James can play as a No10 or out wide, and in the latter role, England are blessed with an exciting crop of young wingers.
Ella Toone has been part of a settled midfield alongside Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh over the past three years, but competition is growing.
Grace Clinton has shown with her performances for United and Tottenham how she can offer athleticism and goals from midfield. Jess Park is an exciting talent and brings something different. A diminutive playmaker, she is arguably one of the most technically gifted players England have.
Her team-mate at Manchester City, Laura Blindkilde Brown, is of a similar profile, and she was on standby for this summer’s Euros.
The end of ‘Proper England’?
The new faces who Wiegman brings into the team will tell us a lot about the style of play she wants at the World Cup. Wiegman has shown herself to be tactically flexible and it is why she boasts the remarkable record of making the final of a major tournament five times in a row.
At Euro 2022, the Lionesses blew teams away with an attacking approach, scoring 22 goals in six games. For the World Cup a year later, they shifted to a back-three in defence and favoured a more counter-attacking style.
This Euros, however, represented the biggest tactical shift yet. The players dubbed their performances “Proper England” and it was, at times, backs-to-the-wall stuff.
The Lionesses fought their way to glory, with a dogged mentality their biggest weapon. Such an approach, though, feels unsustainable in the long term. It is all very well setting up like that for six games, but there is only so many times one can dance with death.
In the final, Spain had more than 750 passes — nearly twice as many as England. They also had 22 shots to England’s eight. Technically, they were superior and will have spent much of this week wondering how they lost.
Where England go from here will be intriguing and they must find a way of increasing Walsh’s influence. Sides have targeted her since Euro 2022 and Wiegman’s side have lost some of their control in midfield.
Bringing someone like Agyemang into the team would allow them to go with a direct approach, given the “chaos” she brings up front with her pace and power.
Blooding Park would feel like a lean towards a possession-based approach, trading physicality for finesse.
The inclusion of Clinton could inject dynamism into a midfield that, at times in Switzerland, looked leggy. Adding pace to England’s defence, through Charles or Morgan, could enable the Lionesses to squeeze teams by playing a high line.
There are plenty of options, but one thing Wiegman won’t change is the role of her substitutes. At every tournament, they have been vital and it was especially so in Switzerland. They were directly involved in 10 goals, double the tally of any other side.
Russo and Toone were the “finishers” at Euro 2022, while this summer it was Agyemang and Kelly. It may be someone else’s turn to step up in Brazil.
Wiegman v Hayes
England are the undisputed champions of Europe, but they are yet to conquer the world. Spain defeated them in the World Cup final two years ago and, as this Euros showed, they will be one of the Lionesses’ biggest rivals in Brazil.
The other major threat to England’s dream of winning their first-ever Women’s World Cup is the USA, who are now led by Hayes. The 48-year-old is arguably the greatest manager in the women’s club game, winning 13 major trophies during her 11 years at Chelsea.
Hayes has carried that success into the international game, leading USA to Olympic gold at last year’s Games in Paris. After crashing out at the last-16 stage at the 2023 World Cup, Hayes has been tasked with restoring the dominance that brought back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2019.
A potential showdown with Wiegman is exciting — the best manager in the international game versus the most decorated coach in the club game.
But the contenders in Brazil will not end there. Germany are resurgent. Sweden should have knocked England out at this Euros. France have too much talent to keep underachieving. Colombia could be a dark horse, especially with the tournament in South America. They made it all the way to the quarter-finals two years ago, underlining how much the women’s game has grown.
The gap between the top sides and the chasing pack has narrowed, with Haiti and Nigeria causing England problems at the previous World Cup.
The Lionesses will have to fight for the one trophy that has eluded them, but Williamson is in no doubt that they can seize more glory.
“When we’re put in a situation where we have to deliver, I trust us to give absolutely everything, and we are back-to-back champions. What we have just done is incredible and I hope it continues. This England team right now, if you ask me based on today, is capable of anything.”
