Steph Houghton has racked up 121 caps for the Lionesses since making her international debut in 2012.
Having represented Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, the Women's European Champions in 2022 was seen as some sort of homecoming tournament for one of the game's greats.
She was named in the 28-woman provisional squad back in May, though she was deemed a fitness doubt. And when head coach Sarina Wiegman announced her England squad for the upcoming Euros, Houghton's name was nowhere to be seen. The 34-year-old was viewed as a player instrumental to the national team, given she has captained the side since 2014.
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To not play in a Euros in England is a huge blow for the Man City star. She had made the final team for England's last five major tournaments and here's why she has been left out of the squad.
Houghton suffered an Achilles last September during Weigman's first training camp and in doing so has yet to feature under the Dutch coach. Making a return in January, she made five appearances for her club before the injury flared up again and was forced to undergo surgery in February.
It was always going to be a race against time to make the 23-woman squad and, upon announcing the team that will represent England in the tournament, Wiegman said that Houghton was 'just not ready to compete.'
"It was a hard decision, but she's just not ready to compete," Wiegman said. "We set a plan in place with her for her, and she did everything she could do, we supported her as well as possible.
"She's in a very good place but just not ready to compete, I think. It's a matter of time, and we don't have that time.
"It was really hard. It's hard for every player we had to disappoint, but of course for such a big player with such a big impact on the England game, she did everything - but other players do everything too.
"Of course, she was very disappointed and I know she did everything to make it, so she wasn't happy, but she took the arguments I gave her and then we left it for now."
