From ballgirl to goal hero: the rapid rise of England's new teen star

On Wednesday 2 April, Arsenal's Michelle Agyemang was sitting pitchside at St George's Park in Burton upon Trent, watching her England Under-19 teammates cruise to a Euros qualifier victory over Belgium, unable to play because of suspension.

- Tom Garry

With the senior Lionesses also based at the national football centre that week, the England manager Sarina Wiegman and many of her staff were watching the 6-0 win and several England players, including the captain, Leah Williamson, chatted with Agyemang in the seating area.

Little could 19-year-old Agyemang have known that less than four months later she would be the Lionesses' saviour twice in the knockout stages of Euro 2025.

A year ago, she scored a hat-trick for England at the Under-19 European Championship but few could have been bold enough to predict she would burst into the nation's hearts on the grander stage so soon.

Yet, that week in April, events were about to unfold that would transform not only her summer fortunes but England's too. On the Saturday Agyemang scored to help the under-19s beat Austria 5-1 and the next day she was drafted into the senior squad for the first time to cover for the injured Alessia Russo. A few days later she made her senior England debut, coming on against Belgium in the 80th minute and scoring 41 seconds later.