Leah Williamson says leading England out will be ‘biggest honour in football’

Leah Williamson will lead England for the first time since being made captain for this summer’s European Championship in Tuesday’s clash with Northern Ireland.

Manager Sarina Wiegman announced last week that Arsenal defender Williamson would be given the armband for the home tournament with Steph Houghton still sidelined following Achilles surgery.

The long-time captain is still hoping to be fit for the summer but it is Williamson who will lead the team out.

The 25-year-old said: “I think the main thing is obviously it’s a very proud moment. The biggest honour in football and I appreciate that and am aware of the responsibility that comes with that title.”

Williamson was forced to sit out England’s 10-0 victory over North Macedonia last Friday due to concussion protocols but will be back on Tuesday in Belfast, where victory combined with dropped points for Austria could see Sarina Wiegman’s side book their spot at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

England have been in ruthless form in qualifying, racking up 63 goals in just seven matches and conceding none.

Williamson said of last week’s performance: “I thought the girls were great, very professional. We had a job to do, we wanted to create loads of chances and prove to be a clinical team and I think the girls did that.

“It’s never nice to sit out a football match but, when you watch a team play like that, it’s fairly easy.”

England, who will be without Jill Scott, defeated Northern Ireland 4-0 at home in October, while they will also face Kenny Shiels’ side in the group stages of the Euros.

Asked what she wanted to see from England’s final competitive game before this summer, Wiegman said: “As we approach every game we want to develop our style of play, we want to play well, we want to play good as a team.

“Again tomorrow we want to create lots of chances and concede no goals. It’s going to be a tough game, a great crowd, big occasion, so I’m really looking forward to that and the team, too.

“We have a job to do. We want to be a mature team. Hopefully the crowd will make lots of noise so it’s a little harder for us to talk to each other so we have to communicate in passing and body language a little more.”