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Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<ul><li>Williamson was handed a start against Ireland</li><li>Put in an impressive shift at the back</li><li>Believes return to international action was completion of cycle</li></ul><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

'I just really love playing for England' - Arsenal star Leah Williamson admits she feels '10 times stronger' in the Lionesses shirt after making first international appearance in a year

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In an entertaining match against Ireland in Dublin on Tuesday night, England secured their first victory in the qualifiers for the 2025 Women's Euro with a resounding 2-0 win with Williamson donning the armband. Goals from Lauren James and Alex Greenwood propelled the Lionesses to success, marking a significant rebound from their disappointing draw against Sweden earlier in the week.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Despite the collective achievement, all eyes were on Arsenal star Williamson, whose journey back to the international stage has been nothing short of inspiring. Overcoming a devastating ACL injury sustained last April, which sidelined her for nine months and forced her to miss England's campaign in the<a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/spain-queens-world-football-winners-losers-aitana-bonmati-england-lioneeses-lucy-bronze-world-cup-final/blt04b557c79149dd42" target="_blank"> World Cup finals in Australia</a>, Williamson showcased incredible resilience and determination in her comeback on the international circuit.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Speaking to ITV Sport after the match, Williamson said: "It's been a long time coming. Honestly, I just really, really love playing for England. When I put this badge on, I feel 10 times taller, 10 times stronger. I don't know. The girls are such a great group of girls and I loved every second of that."I had my eyes set on this. These days, with an ACL, you come back hopefully in a healthy way but 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. Everyone tells me it'll take a while for my body to feel like it used to but yeah, see out the season and then hopefully just keep getting stronger."

WHAT WILLIAMSON SAID

Williamson suffered a <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/england-return-ends-fitness-frustration-leah-williamson-euro-2022-winning-captain-withdraws-squad-lionesses-replacement/blt611451cbe942b732" target="_blank">hamstring issue that sidelined her during the February</a> international window. However, she forced her way into the <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/england-women-player-ratings-sweden-lucy-bronze-lionesses-alessia-russo-euro-2025-qualifying/blt7105b91703fb473a" target="_blank">matchday squad against Sweden</a> on Friday but remained limited to the substitutes' bench.

DID YOU KNOW?

As England continue their quest for glory in the <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/england-womens-lionesses-fixtures-results-schedule-tv-streams/blt46e43028ee731271#cs8e25e74dec75c2a8" target="_blank">Women's Euro 2025 qualifiers</a>, Williamson's resurgence offers a beacon of hope and inspiration to the Lionesses. But for now, she will shift her focus back to club football and will return to action on Sunday when Arsenal host Bristol City in the WSL.

WHAT NEXT?

'I just really love playing for England' - Arsenal star Leah Williamson admits she feels '10 times stronger' in the Lionesses shirt after making first international appearance in a year | Goal.com UK

Leah Williamson roared that she feels &quot;10 times stronger&quot; in the Lionesses shirt after her first international outing in a year against Ireland.

&apos;I just really love playing for England&apos; - Arsenal star Leah Williamson admits she feels &apos;10 times stronger&apos; in the Lionesses shirt after making first international appearance in a year

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