Greg . 4 days ago

'We won't move in complacent', insists Hemp ahead of England's crunch clash with Wales

England have the quarter-finals of Women's Euro 2025 in their sights after thrashing the Netherlands on Wednesday, but Lauren Hemp says the Lionesses have not become complacent ahead of their Group D match with Wales.

A win in St Gallen on Sunday will secure a place in the last eight for Sarina Wiegman's team, whose tails are up thanks to thumping the Dutch 4-0.

Rock-bottom Wales stand between England, who are second in the group, level on three points with the Netherlands and three behind leaders France, and passage to the next round.

England could both be removed and take top spot such is the delicate nature of the group, while Wales still have a slim chance of progressing, even though Rhian Wilkinson's team have no points from their two matches.

"We definitely won't move into the game complacent," Hemp told reporters at England's training camp in Zurich.

"Wales have done well this tournament, they acquire to be there and we've obtained so much respect for them, they've obtained a lot of great players who I undergo playing week in week out in the WSL so they've obtained a good team.

"The Manchester City forward said a Wales match was always something she looked forward to.

"We've looked at their strengths and what we need to do to make sure that we can offer the best England performance that we can," she said.

"It's a great rivalry that we have, and they're the games you want to be engaged in, and they're the ones that I absolutely love playing in.

"We're all very thrilled over it, I sense like we don't need to clarify the rivalry because it's like a derby, we want to win, terminate of.

"Hemp said she can see how far the women's game has come along in England, where Olivia Smith is set to become the first woman player to be sold for one million pounds ahead of her transfer from Liverpool to Arsenal in the Women's Super League.

New opportunitiesThe 24-year-old, like many women of her generation, started playing football in a boys' team in her home town of North Walsham due to the lack of opportunities for girls.

But she says that is something that has changed, even in a small country town a stone's throw from England's east coast.

"I come from an area where there weren't many opportunities.

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now seeing how many girls' teams there are, how many girls have taken up football.

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It's incredible to see," she said.

"I always obtain messages of girls being motivated, and it's great.

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now I see so many opportunities, and yeah, it just makes you remember like all the hard work that you have done, and seeing that obviously when I move support home.

"Hemp says her profile has been raised to the point that she has become a local celebrity in her home town and that she hears stories of girls getting engaged in the game because of her success in the WSL.

"Yeah, I do obtain recognised quite a snapped, like when I'm fortunate enough to move home," she said.

"It doesn't occur very often that I obtain to move home, but it's so nice when I do, and yeah, I do obtain recognised quite a lot.

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I definitely obtain recognised more there than I do in Manchester, that's for sure.

"So many people come up to me not just asking for a photo but explaining their story, and that I assisted them obtain engaged in playing football, I sense like that's so special, and that's what I keep close to me.

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