England’s Lionesses: The Euro 2017 Squad

All twenty-three of Mark Sampson’s Lionesses, profiled with numbers, dates and a quote apiece, three months after a selection that raised eyebrows and now looks shrewd. She Kicks calls Karen Bardsley the number one and a deep thinker, Lucy Bronze genuinely world class, Steph Houghton a leader far less serious in private than her public persona, and Fara Williams the director general of the midfield and its motormouth in equal measure. Jodie Taylor is rated among the best number nines in the game and Ellen White, after tough seasons, is said to be destined for this tournament. Around the profiles run the details that make squads human: Carly Telford’s spat-in gloves, Karen Carney’s custom-shrunk boots, and Jo Potter watching Marieanne Spacey score on television and realising women could play.