LIONESSES' REPEAT MISSION

JOHN LYONS REPORTS ON ENGLAND'S PROSPECTS AS THEY PREPARE TO DEFEND THEIR EUROPEAN TITLE IN SWITZERLAND

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IT SEEMS like only yesterday that substitute Chloe Kelly netted her extra-time winner for England's women against Germany in the Euro 2022 final and twirled her shirt round her head in jubilant celebration.

That was an iconic moment in a memorable tournament on home turf which saw the Lionesses capture the hearts of the nation. The likes of skipper Leah Williamson, Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp and Beth Mead became household names as the already burgeoning women's game in this country reached new heights.

There were over 87,000 spectators packed into Wembley on that special day to watch England win their first major women's tournament, fans flocked to Trafalgar Square to celebrate with the team the following day and the Queen hailed the players as an 'inspiration'.

Coach Sarina Wiegman was hailed as a genius after masterminding England's triumph, making it back to back Euro successes after leading her native Holland to the 2017 crown.

A year later England showed their success was no fluke by reaching the Women's World Cup final Down Under, though it was Spain who triumphed 1-0 to take the silverware.

The question now is whether the Lionesses can retain their European crown when the latest edition takes place in Switzerland in July.

It's often said that reaching the top is one thing, but staying there is even tougher.

Going into the tournament, there are causes for concern.

A major one is the fitness of a number of key players. Forward Hemp, midfielder Stanway and defender Alex Greenwood have all missed chunks of the season having had knee surgery and it remains to be seen whether they can recapture peak form in time for the Euros.