OBERENTFELDEN, Switzerland :In a few short years, striker Michelle Agyemang has gone from being a ball girl at Wembley to scoring vital goals for England that will see them contest the Women’s European Championship final on Sunday as she leads the charge for young players in Switzerland.
The 19-year-old came off the bench to score two crucial equalisers in the knockout stage against Sweden and Italy that helped them into the decider against Spain, playing with a youthful freedom and swagger that has lit up the competition.
“What a tournament from Michelle, especially coming in with the seniors just a couple of months ago … what a great player, what a bright future she’s got,” England defender Lucy Bronze said.
“She’s a little bit of the unknown and she brings something different … I think it gives her a lot of confidence and the team give her a lot of freedom,” Bronze added.
Unburdened by expectations, young players like Agyemang may be able to play freely but there is still pressure, with Norway’s Signe Gaupset telling Reuters that playing with the likes of Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen took some getting used to.
“They were like my idols when I was young, and it’s really cool to play with them now in the national team and look up to them. What they are doing is so great, (showing us) how to be a professional athlete, everything they are doing to be as good as possible, it’s great,” Gaupset said.
The 20-year-old Gaupset was one of the breakout stars in the group stage, scoring two goals and creating two more as her side beat Iceland in their final group game that catapulted her into the starting team for their quarter-final against Italy, which they lost by a last-minute goal.
Despite being only 21, Switzerland’s Smilla Vallotto has already amassed 27 caps for her country, most of them in the midfield engine room, where she has had plenty of support from more senior players.
“Lia Waelti means a lot to me, she helps me both on and off the field, she is always there to discuss different situations, but also to just talk about life. She is 100 per cent someone who has been important to me in this championship,” she told Reuters.
Vallotto, who is making a move from Swedish club Hammarby to German side VfL Wolfsburg, said she had learned a lot over the course of her first major tournament.
“The international level of football is a bit different than playing in Hammarby, but I’ve had a very good season in Sweden and I’ve played in Europe, so I feel very comfortable there,” she said.
Whether she starts Sunday’s final up front or on the bench, Agyemang will enjoy similar support in the England squad.
“I think she’s quality. I think what she brings, she’s a nightmare to play against,” England and Arsenal defender Leah Williamson said.
“I’m glad she’s my teammate at club and country. She deserves her flowers. I hope she gets them … I hope she’s ready to go at the weekend.”
