At the start of the 21st century, England were not a force in women’s football. They’d failed to qualify for both the 1997 European Championship and the 1999 Women’s World Cup and, after crashing out in the group stages of Euro 2001, would also fall short of reaching the 2003 World Cup. However, that’s all changed now, with the Lionesses winning their first major tournament at Euro 2022 and backing it up with a first Women’s World Cup final a year later.
Hope Powell, one of the finest coaches the women’s game has seen, played a huge part in laying the foundations for this rise, and so did a lot of top players who did not have the resources and professional status that the stars of today do. For every Leah Williamson and Georgia Stanway, there is a Faye White and a Jill Scott who helped to pave the way.
Because of the many different eras that the England women’s national team has gone through in the past 25 years alone, it is tricky to rank the best players to represent the Lionesses in that time. Yes, the current generation have achieved things that those of the past never did, but achievements such as reaching the Euro 2009 final or finishing third at the 2015 Women’s World Cup are also important, particularly in the journey to reaching the point England are at today.
So, who are the greatest players to represent the Lionesses in the 21st century? Taking into account only international exploits, GOAL runs through the cream of the crop…