When Phil Neville named a 30-strong England Women’s squad for September’s training camp, he included a number of new faces.
The Lionesses haven’t been together since the SheBelieves Cup back in March so will renew acquaintances at St. George’s Park for seven days of work on the training pitch.
And with no games scheduled until next month’s trip to Germany, Neville has taken the option to have a look at some of the younger players who have caught his eye with their performances in the Barclays FA WSL and with the England development teams.
In total, eight players were named in a senior squad for the first time, so here’s a few more details about each of them…
Hannah Hampton
Twitter: @hannahhampton_
Instagram: @hanhampton
While the Birmingham City stopper was a late addition to the Lionesses squad for trip to USA for the SheBelievesCup in March, this was her first call-up from the off.
There was no debut for her during that trip, but she proved a popular addition to the group and will be looking to pick up where she left off when the squad report next Tuesday.
Born in Birmingham, Hannah spent five years of her childhood growing up in Spain after moving there with her family and it was where she found her love and talent for football.
Initially a striker, she was on the books of Villareal's academy teams out in Spain and only made the switch to being a keeper on her return to England in 2010 when she joined Stoke City’s centre of excellence.
She moved to Birmingham City in 2016, having already become a regular for the Young Lionesses.
In 2013, she represented our U15 while still aged just 12 and she's since gone on to pick up caps at U17, U19 and U21 level.
Ella Toone
Twitter: @ellatoone99
Instagram: @ellatoone
The Manchester United forward has been a regular with England’s U17, U19 and U21 squads in recent seasons, including the experience of representing the Young Lionesses at the 2016 FIFA U17 World Cup in Jordan.
She started her career with Manchester United’s centre of excellence, but with no women’s team there at the time, she left to join Blackburn Rovers, where she spent three seasons before signing for Manchester City in 2016.
With no first-team breakthrough with City, she jumped at the chance to return to United when it came up in 2018 and became one of seven players who returned to the club that summer having played for them at youth level before their women’s team was formed.
Since then, she’s blossomed into a reliable player for Casey Stoney’s team and also caught the eye of Phil Neville.
Esme Morgan
Twitter: @_esmemorgan
Instagram: @esme.morgan
The international scene won’t be new to the Sheffield-born defender, who is a versatile player capable of filling roles in the centre, at right-back or even as a defensive midfielder.
Despite growing up in South Yorkshire, she’s a lifelong Manchester City fan, meaning her rise through the ranks with the Blues has been something of a dream.
And she added FA WSL experience to her resume in the 2019-20 term, by spending time out on loan with Everton.
She’s also had caps for England at U17, U19 and U21 level in the last few years.
Lotte Wubben-Moy
Twitter: @lottewubbenmoy
Instagram: @lottewubbenmoy
The Londonder has spent the previous two years playing in the USA with the famous North Carolina Tar Heels, having initially come through the ranks with Arsenal as a youngster and making her first-team debut back in 2015 as a teenager.
However, having made the decision to forego her third year of study and playing with the Tar Heels due to the uncertainty around the season following the COVID-19 outbreak, it’s left her clear to find a club back on home soil for the new campaign.
Her talent as a youngster saw her pick up caps for England right from the U15s through to the U21s, captaining the Young Lionesses during their run the U17 World Cup quarter finals in 2016 and third spot at the U17 EURO Finals earlier that year.
Millie Turner
Twitter: @millieturner_
Instagram: @millieturner_
The Manchester United defender has been picked out by head coach Phil Neville for her displays in the 2019-20 campaign and given another chance to impress, having previously been capped by England at both U23 and U19 level.
Born in the Manchester suburb of Wilmslow, Turner grew up in a football-mad family with two brothers with one of them, Jake, currently playing for Morecambe on loan from Newcastle United.
She played youth football with the likes of Stockport County, Crewe Alexandra and Manchester United, before opting to join Everton’s development squad in 2013 and then breaking into the first-team squad the following year.
After three years with the Toffees, she enjoyed a season with Bristol City who she captained in the 2017-18 campaign before making the decision to return north and join Manchester United for their inaugural campaign in the FA WSL.
Niamh Charles
Twitter: @niamhcharles7
Instagram: @niamhcharles17
It’s been quite a summer for Niamh, as she received her first call up to the Lionesses squad for a training camp and also sealed a move to FA WSL 2020 champions Chelsea.
A pacy winger from the Wirral, she’d spent the previous four campaigns with her childhood team Liverpool, after coming through their youth ranks.
But following the Reds’ relegation from the WSL last term, she made the decision to move south to continue her top-flight career.
She’d also been an impressive performer for the Young Lions and was a key player for the U17s during 2016 when they finished third at the U17 EURO and then reached the quarter final of the FIFA U17 World Cup later that year.
Rinsola Babajide
Twitter: @rinsolab11_
Instagram: @rinss98
The speedy winger is already familiar with many of her new squad mates, having been a regular for the Young Lionesses in recent years.
She was part of the WU20s team who clinched bronze at the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2018 and had also been capped by the U19s in the 2016-17 campaign which saw them qualify for that World Cup.
The south Londoner previously played for Crystal Palace and Millwall Lionesses in her youth, before a move to Watford in 2017, when she was their top scorer in that year’s Spring Series.
A switch north to Liverpool came in 2018 and her senior call-up came on the back of what was a tough season for the Reds, following their relegation to the Women’s Championship.
But having signed a new contract at Anfield in June 2020, she’ll be hoping to help boost her England chances by firing them to promotion.
Katie Zelem
Twitter: @katiezel
Instagram: @KatieZelem
The Manchester United midfielder has been a regular with the Young Lionesses previously, having been capped right from the U15s through to the U23s.
But Zelem caught the eye of Neville with her performances for United last season after captaining the Reds in the WSL.
Among her international experiences, she represented England at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Canada in 2014 and helped the U19s to a second-place finish at the U19 EURO Finals the year before that.
From a footballing family, both her father Alan and uncle Peter had both played the game professionally, Oldham-born Zelem started off her career at United’s centre of excellence before she moved to Liverpool in 2013 and quickly got some early first-team experience under her belt.
A season in Italy with Juventus followed during the 2017-18 season saw her add even more experience to her repertoire and having started out as a winger, Katie settled into a more central role by the time she returned to Manchester United for the 2018-19 season.
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