As if we hadn’t seen this script earlier than, in some way it is enjoying out once more.
England are marching into their third consecutive main event last and this time they’ve Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly to thank.
‘She feels inevitable proper now,’ mentioned England captain Leah Williamson of the teenage sensation.
Essentially the most outstanding half? Agyemang wasn’t even purported to be right here.
Initially from South Ockendon in Essex, then attending Holy Cross College Main and Southend Excessive College for Ladies, Agyemang was despatched out on mortgage by Arsenal this season to ‘proceed her growth’ at Brighton, the place she made simply three begins for the Seagulls in the direction of the top of their marketing campaign.
Then got here the sliding doorways second – maybe of the whole Euros marketing campaign – simply two months earlier than Sarina Wiegman was resulting from title her squad for Switzerland when Alessia Russo picked up a knock halfway by means of England’s Nations League double-header with Belgium, and Agyemang was hurriedly known as in to exchange her.
Michelle Agyemang is a brand new hero for the Lionesses after scoring two pivotal objectives on the Euros
She was a ball woman again in 2021 and solely booked her place within the squad late within the course of
The lifelong Arsenal fan was despatched on mortgage to Brighton this season however solely made three begins
England had been on the point of a irritating end in Leuven, the rating caught at 3-1, when Agyemang was launched within the eightieth minute.
Simply forty-one seconds later, Leah Williamson’s looping cross from deep discovered her. One contact to regulate together with her thigh, the second to blast it into the roof of the web.
After a quick celebration, Agyemang retrieved the ball from the web and raced it again to the centre spot.
The objective did not spark a full comeback – the ultimate rating remained 3-2 – however it was fairly the debut assertion.
She attracts inspiration from a novel supply. Agyemang listens to gospel music earlier than each match to calm her thoughts. Certainly, her church background has led to considered one of her beloved hobbies, enjoying the piano, and he or she has even had her one transported out to Switzerland – although she hasn’t handled the squad to a pay attention but.
When she’s not enjoying, she’s received her head within the books for a enterprise administration course at King’s School London.
Agyemang, a lifelong Arsenal fan, joined the Gunners’ academy aged six. Born to Ghanaian dad and mom, she has lengthy been tipped for the limelight – though maybe not fairly this rapidly.
Requested that night time in Belgium whether or not she seen Agyemang as a back-up to Russo, Wiegman was fast to mood expectations, replying: ‘That is actually quick. I can not say that to you proper now. She’s an absolute expertise and I believe she’s an excellent quantity 9.
Her late equaliser towards Sweden within the quarter-finals led to extra-time and penalties
She will get within the zone pre-game by listening to gospel music and performs the piano in her free time
‘It is too early to say now the place that goes to and when the gamers come again and are match then the competitors up entrance is basically excessive. But when it is not within the quick time period, then in the long term she’s an thrilling participant.’
Scrap all that – Agyemang is a participant for proper now. Twice she has come to England’s rescue on this Euros marketing campaign, and twice she has delivered on Europe’s greatest stage when the clock was starting to say it was throughout.
‘She’s unbelievable,’ mentioned Chloe Kelly – her future Arsenal teammate and fellow tremendous sub – after the match. ‘She’s received the world at her toes. A younger participant with a shiny future and I am completely buzzing for her.’
Solely 4 years in the past, Agyemang was a ball woman at Wembley for Wiegman’s third recreation in cost – a World Cup qualifier towards Northern Eire in 2021 – and was left awestruck by being so near the motion.
‘It was loopy, seeing the ladies so near my face,’ she just lately recalled. ‘Beth Mead received a hat-trick that day, so to be part of that have was invaluable and I am going to always remember it.’
Now, those self same gamers are singing the 19-year-old’s praises after her late rescue act secured one other historic last for this relentless staff.
‘She’s very humble and is aware of her power, and that offers her confidence,’ Lucy Bronze mentioned final night time. ‘She is aware of she’s a robust woman and he or she is aware of she will be able to end.
‘She will be able to put the ball at the back of the web. She does it in coaching and he or she works tirelessly each single day in coaching towards our centre-halves – pushing them and ensuring that she’s recent for when she comes on as a sub.
Sarina Wiegman admits she ought to ‘relax’ in coaching as a result of she will be able to ‘nearly destroy’ her opponents
Her religion is vital to her and team-mates have described the ‘humility’ that she exudes
‘However what a future the child’s received forward of her – at 19 she’s serving to the England staff get to a Euros last. I can not think about her or her household ever dreamed of it.’
Bronze was requested if she shared a few of Agyemang’s fearlessness in her early profession and replied: ‘Yeah I believe so as a result of no person is aware of something about you, individuals can analyse her recreation however she’s performed a couple of minutes towards Belgium, a couple of minutes within the season as effectively with Brighton.
‘She’s slightly little bit of the unknown and he or she brings one thing totally different to our different strikers and our attackers, which possibly different groups aren’t used to enjoying towards, particularly in an England shirt. So I believe it provides her loads of confidence and the staff give her loads of freedom, Sarina does.
‘We would like her to be assured and simply play good soccer and attempt to rating objectives, when she scored the primary one, we had been like, go and do it once more. And also you noticed that in the remainder of the sport. She was occurring by herself, she had two or three good runs in further time the place she was like, I’ll take this staff to the ultimate. It is superb to see and I believe that offers the remainder of the staff confidence.
Agyemang’s rise has been fast, and Wiegman has embraced her uncooked expertise – whereas additionally suggesting she ease up barely in coaching.
‘In duels I believe she must relax slightly bit as she makes some fouls,’ Wiegman mentioned in Could. ‘You do not need to nearly destroy your opponent.’
Bronze’s response was to inform Agyemang to go more durable.
‘We did have that dialog, me and Sarina, and I have been engaged on it in coaching, and I believe I’ve improved on it,’ Agyemang just lately mentioned.
‘However Lucy was saying she thinks it is a tremendous power of mine and I do know Lucy is bodily as effectively, so we like going at it in coaching and it is enjoyable to have that kind of opponent – then you’ll be able to replicate it within the recreation.’
Her physicality has change into her defining trait on this event, ruffling feathers in every of the three matches she’s come off the bench.
4 caps, three objectives – it has been fairly the return.
