'Very beautiful' - Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman responds to Nike England kit controversy

Pundits, ex-players and even politicians have criticised Nike's "playful update" of the St George's Cross, with several branding the move "woke". That widespread uproar over a simple collar has, however, detracted from the fact that the latest kits are an impressive offering from Nike. That sentiment is certainly shared by Wiegman, who ignoring the fuss has labelled the jerseys "very beautiful."

On the ongoing chaos surrounding the kit design, the Lionesses boss told reporters on Tuesday: "There has been a lot of discussions around that. I think the kit is very, very beautiful. It looks really good. I always really like the crest [badge], the beautiful one. Of course we have that white shirt so I would like to keep it with that. I’m happy with that, we’re playing in it. I'm looking to seeing the team in it."

Wiegman's words come after she announced her 23-player squad for England's upcoming Euro 2025 qualification campaign on Tuesday, where they will face Sweden and Republic of Ireland. The Lionesses boss was able to call on almost all of the members who went to the warm-weather training camp in Spain earlier this year, aside from Manchester United defender Maya Le Tissier. She made way for the return of Leah Williamson, who was welcomed back to the England set-up following her continued injury woes this term.

The Lionesses will don the "very beautiful" kits for the first time when their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign gets underway on April 5. They play Sweden at Wembley in that encounter before travelling to Dublin to face Ireland four days later.