England captain Leah Williamson reveals savage feedback from fellow Lionesses star & Euro 2022 winner Keira Walsh – with it ‘impossible’ to get a compliment from Barcelona midfielder

England claimed a historic continental crown on home soil when overcoming arch-rivals Germany in extra-time at Wembley Stadium. Chloe Kelly famously grabbed the winning goal, but it was Williamson who got her hands on major silverware as captain of her country.

The Arsenal defender is considered to be one of the most consistent and reliable performers for the Gunners and Lionesses, with those qualities on show when starring at centre-half throughout a triumphant European Championship campaign.

Not everybody wants to sing her praises, though, with international colleague and close friend Walsh paying backhanded compliments. Williamson has told the Tooney and Russo podcast of failing to win a demanding character over: “I went to Barcelona to visit her and we were just having a conversation. I asked her, ‘Do you think I had a good Euros?’ And she said, ‘If you didn’t, we wouldn’t have won.’ And I said, ‘That wasn’t the question. That’s not what I asked you. I said do you think I played well at the Euros?’ And she just wouldn’t answer me. And then in the end, she finally said, ‘Do I think you grew through the tournament…?’ and I was like ‘Cheers, okay, fine, it doesn’t matter, we won anyway’.”

Williamson added that to “get a compliment off Keira is impossible”, with England and Manchester United star Ella Toone agreeing as she said: “If Keira says you’re a good player, that means the absolute world to you.”

Walsh’s opinion carries plenty of weight as she is a Champions League winner from her time at Barcelona and a player considered by many to sit among the best in the world. Williamson is working her way back towards that level after recovering from the serious knee ligament injury that dashed her World Cup dreams in 2023.