England managed a superb, celebratory homecoming. But is the succession plan clear?

This was as emphatic a Wembley homecoming as England could have hoped for. Eight goals, five scorers — not a bad way to return to the site of their Euro 2022 triumph.

England were comfortable from the outset and cruising almost immediately. Beth Mead scored a quickfire brace before the 15-minute mark, which Lauren Hemp followed two minutes later, and Georgia Stanway delivered a sucker punch with a brace of her own before half-time. Stanway completed her hat-trick shortly after the break, and Ella Toone and Alessia Russo put extra gloss on the scoreline.

This friendly was ultimately a celebration of England’s excellent year, and it was pleasing to see a turnout of 74,611 for a low-stakes occasion. That is a testament to England’s progress in establishing themselves as a women’s football powerhouse. Since they won their first European title here in 2022, the profile of the women’s game in England is unrecognisable.

The team, though, remains very recognisable. Tonight’s scoresheet in the 8-0 win — Stanway, Mead, Hemp, Toone, and Russo — would not have looked out of place at any point in Wiegman’s tenure. In fact, all of those players were scorers during Euro 2022.

Almost all of the changes from the side that generally lined up in the Euros this summer were forced.

Anna Moorhouse made her debut in net with Hannah Hampton and Khiara Keating both injured. Esme Morgan and Maya Le Tissier were the centre-back pairing, with Leah Williamson and Jess Carter both out (the former injured; the latter resting after a successful NWSL playoff campaign with Gotham), and Niamh Charles came in for the injured Alex Greenwood at left-back.

The midfield of Toone, Stanway, and Keira Walsh and the front three of Mead, Russo and Hemp is very familiar. Other, less experienced players did have opportunities from the bench, including a triple-change at half-time, but it was perhaps surprising that Wiegman started with such a tried-and-tested lineup in a low-stakes game.

Having this experienced core of players, so familiar with each other’s style, is beneficial. That cohesion and continuity are part of what has helped England become back-to-back European champions. This was a night of celebrating that group’s phenomenal achievements — but also a nod to the future, as the UK’s bid to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup was advertised.

What will this team look like then? More importantly, what will it look like in Brazil in 2027? Or when they defend their European title in 2029? At present, England are a powerhouse and boast an iconic team. But this squad cannot last forever, so what is the succession plan?

Saturday’s game provided some hints.

Morgan, 25, and Le Tissier, 23, have 30 senior caps between them and have been Wiegman’s centre-back pairing of choice, with Greenwood, Carter, and Williamson all unavailable, and Millie Bright having retired from international duty. They are players coming into their peak years, with the potential to feature heavily in upcoming tournaments.

Morgan, who has only just finished an NWSL playoff campaign with Washington Spirit, was replaced by Lotte Wubben-Moy at half-time — but Le Tissier played the full game and performed impressively. Her experience from captaining Manchester United showed, marshalling the back line vocally throughout and demonstrating her composure under pressure and long-passing ability. Le Tissier has seized the opportunity presented by injuries.

There are more question marks over the midfield, with England yet to really begin grooming a deputy for 28-year-old Walsh. The Chelsea midfielder, who captained the side on Saturday, has appeared for England at four major tournaments. She is the metronome of their build-up and a valuable screen for the defence. When she was substituted, Stanway dropped back into her holding midfield spot — but given what Stanway can add further forward, that is not an ideal solution. Developing a backup for Walsh should be high on England’s priority list.

Aston Villa midfielder Lucia Kendall, 21, made a substitute appearance and looks a promising deputy. She did not make as much of an impact as during her debut in October, but was still close to an assist, hitting a smart through ball that was just out of Toone’s reach late on.

The wings were refreshed as part of Wiegman’s half-time triple substitution, with Jess Park and Chloe Kelly replacing Mead and Hemp. Park, who struggled for game time in Switzerland this summer, was rewarded for her strong start to Manchester United’s WSL season with an opportunity out wide. At 24, she is a solid option for upcoming tournaments and has the versatility to play a more central role if required.

The future of England’s No 9 shirt looks bright, with Russo only 26, 22-year-old Aggie Beever-Jones providing excellent cover and competition, and 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang — currently sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury — already a firm favourite of England fans for her Euro heroics.

There are still areas where England’s succession plan is unclear.

Charles shifted to right-back when Lucy Bronze was substituted late on, but is more comfortable on the left and lacks the same attacking confidence as Bronze. There is little competition for her spot at the moment, though Taylor Hinds also made a brief appearance. The midfield three of Walsh, Stanway, and Toone are a well-oiled machine for now — but aside from Kendall, there do not seem to be young midfielders who are forcing their way into Wiegman’s thinking. That is not for a lack of talent available. Manchester City’s Laura Blindkilde-Brown and Grace Clinton have both been capped before, but neither made it onto the pitch against China, leaving fans none the wiser on who is the first choice to provide cover for Toone.

“When we sub three players at half-time, I think that’s enough,” Wiegman said after the match when asked if she was tempted to bring on more young players earlier, or make more changes. “We have a squad of 25, and there are many players that are really knocking on the door.

“Everyone wants to play. Some players are just coming into the squad, and they’re really finding their feet. And other players have played for us and are doing a really good job and are competing for starting positions.”

Saturday’s homecoming celebration was a reminder of how this team can dominate at the peak of their powers, albeit against opposition who offered very little. The performances of the class of 2022 tonight showed Wiegman is a way off from having to fully replace them just yet — but as qualifying for the 2027 World Cup approaches, the challenge now is planning the next incarnation of England.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

England, Women's Soccer

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