Hannah Hampton, Grace Clinton & nine young England stars who could make their mark on the Lionesses ahead of Euro 2025

All signs point to Grace Clinton being the next player to really break through in Wiegman’s England XI. The 20-year-old started both of the Lionesses’ friendlies in February and, despite those being her first two appearances for the senior national team, she did incredibly well. As we move towards competitive fixtures, Clinton looks well-poised to capitalise on the fact that no one has really nailed down that third midfield spot, in front of Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway.

She showed in February that she can also play as a No.8, while she’s played on the left for Tottenham, on loan from Manchester United, too. It’s unlikely that Stanway relinquishes her place in the No.8 role anytime soon and the wide areas are incredibly competitive, but such versatility is sure to help Clinton secure a regular place in Wiegman’s plans.

Right there in the competition for that No.10 role is Jess Park, who has been thriving for Manchester City in 2024. Like Clinton, she can play a variety of roles, which makes her an increasingly valuable member of the Lionesses’ squad, but breaking into the starting XI will be her next task, and it is in that attacking midfield position that her chances feel highest.

“She's doing well. She's enjoying her game. I think she plays with a lot of joy and with a lot of freedom,” Wiegman said of Park ahead of Friday's qualifier against Sweden. “She has had a lot of patience. Over the last year, she made some choices, she went to Everton, got the minutes, came back and then needed to be a little more patient too, but was ready to start when, unfortunately, Jill Roord got injured. I think she's doing a good job, as we see many players in that position who are doing a good job. The competition for that position is really high, which is good for the team.”

Another position that has plenty of competition and is slowly coming under the microscope more and more, is in between the sticks. Mary Earps has kept hold of the No.1 shirt rather comfortably throughout Wiegman’s tenure and has justified it with her performances on the biggest stage. However, the form of those behind her in the pecking order is starting to open more debate over who should be England’s first-choice goalkeeper.

Arguably no English shot-stopper is in better form right now than Hannah Hampton. After joining Chelsea from Aston Villa in the summer, she has had to bide her time, but opportunities are coming thick and fast now and she is thriving in them. Combined with a lack of game time for Ellie Roebuck at Man City, Hampton’s form has helped her to move up the pecking order to be Earps’ back-up for England, but she will have ambitions to climb to the top.

Can she do it? It will be a tough ask, but she’s doing all the right things to give herself a chance of becoming the Lionesses’ No.1, whether in the near or long-term future.

Khiara Keating is right behind Hampton, too. The 19-year-old has less experience than her international team-mate, Hampton having been part of England’s Euro-winning squad and the group that reached last year’s World Cup final, while this is the teenager's first season as Man City’s No.1, too.

However, you can’t argue with Keating’s talent. Yes, she’s made some mistakes this campaign, but she will iron those out over time and only get better from the regular game time she is getting at such a young age.

England have had some very competitive goalkeeper groups over the last few years and that looks set to continue, especially with it looking likely that Roebuck will move to Barcelona this summer in a bid to throw her hat back in the ring with the Lionesses.

You could argue that breaking into the England team as a winger would be the most difficult thing to do right now. With Beth Mead, Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly and Lauren James all battling for those two wide roles, and players like Park and Clinton capable of filling in if needed, it’s an extremely competitive department.

It’s part of the reason why Katie Robinson has found herself back with the Under-23s lately, having broken into the senior team during Mead’s recovery from an ACL rupture. The young Brighton forward was even picked by Wiegman to go to the World Cup, with the coach clearly seeing something she likes in her game.

Mead’s return has coincided with Robinson dropping back into the youth set-up, but that shouldn’t be seen as a negative as it’s to ensure she can play minutes during international breaks. It’s obvious that Wiegman rates Robinson and it’s likely that she will get a chance to show what she can do again over this next cycle if she continues to perform well with Brighton and the U23s.

Were it not for those competitive wide areas, Aggie Beever-Jones would’ve surely had a senior call-up by now, too. The 20-year-old, who can also play as a No.9, has been steadily developing over the last few years, through loan spells at Bristol City and Everton, and is now making an impact on a regular basis at Chelsea. In fact, during the joint camp with England’s senior team and U23s in February, she was on the Lionesses bench for the first time in the win over Austria, proving she’s so close to that international breakthrough.

Wiegman said in November that Beever-Jones had been in the Lionesses’ staff’s “conversations” when it came to picking her squad at that time, though a call-up felt “a little bit too early” because of the “competition” in attack. “We can be guilty of it as a young player, wanting everything straight away,” Beever-Jones told the Guardian in January. “There’s no harm in me being in the U23s and getting that game time there. As long as I’m making Emma [Hayes] and Sarina happy, then I’m happy.”

It’s a comment that perfectly captures how level-headed the youngster is, and if she can continue to produce for Chelsea, a full call-up will surely come along sooner rather than later.

As we move onto names not quite as close to that breakthrough, but with the potential to put themselves in contention throughout this next cycle, Laura Blindkilde Brown is an interesting case. After two-and-a-half seasons in Aston Villa’s first team, the 20-year-old joined Man City for a bumper fee in January and will take the next steps of her promising career with one of England’s biggest teams.

Described by Villa boss Carla Ward as “one of the biggest talents I've ever worked with”, her ability is there for all to see, whether as an attacking midfielder or a winger. Given Clinton and Park are coming through to challenge the likes of Ella Toone and Fran Kirby in the No.10 role, while those wide areas remain well-stocked, it’ll be tough for Blindkilde Brown to break through quickly.

But as a constant in the U23s, she will certainly be on Wiegman’s radar, and if she establishes herself in a regular role at Man City in the next year or so, it’ll be hard to ignore her. She’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

Another player with an intriguing future is Brooke Aspin, the young centre-back who signed for Chelsea from Bristol City last summer. The 18-year-old is currently experiencing the Women’s Super League for the first time, having been loaned back to the Robins for the year, but it is already her third campaign at senior level and that experience shows in her performances, with her a key player in Bristol’s battle to avoid the drop.

What happens when this season ends will be most interesting. A loan spell to a WSL club with a more mid-table standing feels like it would be a good next step, and if Aspin can continue to develop in a positive manner there, progress within the England set-up will follow.

The Lionesses have a lot of depth at centre-back, but they’ve needed to utilise the talent further down the pecking order throughout the past year due to injuries to Leah Williamson and Millie Bright, plus the brief move to a three-at-the-back set-up. Opportunities can arise out of the blue and Aspin is on the right track to putting herself in that position of being ‘next up’ as we look ahead to Euro 2025.

The same can be said of Aspin’s Bristol team-mate, Naomi Layzell. Another quality young centre-back, the 20-year-old was actually pulled across from the U23s to the senior team for a training session during the Lionesses’ February camp, a sign that Wiegman and her staff are happy with her progress.

Layzell’s situation is slightly different to Aspin’s because if Bristol do get relegated this season, she’ll need a summer move to remain in the WSL. Fortunately, she has arguably been the Robins’ best performer in a difficult campaign and there are sure to be a few clubs keeping an eye on her.

Even if she does get that move, it’ll be difficult to establish herself among England’s centre-back options. But she has a bright future and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see her or Aspin start to fill out future squads as Wiegman looks to give the promising young players of tomorrow a chance to gain some valuable experience.