Chloe Kelly said England’s saviour Michelle Agyemang has the “world at her feet” after the 19-year-old striker’s late leveller saved the defending champions in their nerve-jangling semi-final victory over Italy.
England’s remarkably late comeback, which saw Agyemang score in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time before Kelly’s winner in the penultimate minute of extra time, booked the Lionesses a place in their third consecutive major tournament final. They will face either Spain or Germany in Basel on Sunday, trying to defend the title they won in 2022.
“Big Mich at it again!” Kelly said to ITV Sport, discussing Agyemang’s third goal in four senior international games since her April debut. “She’s unbelievable and she should have scored again: that one that hit the crossbar. She’s an unbelievable player and she’s got the world at her feet, a young player with a bright future and I’m absolutely buzzing for her. But this team shows resilience again and we fight back.”
Agyemang, who also scored England’s equaliser in their quarter-final win over Sweden, added to ITV: “I’m so proud of the team’s fight and effort. It’s the character, it’s the strength of this team that has put us this far.”
The Arsenal player, who was a ballgirl at Wembley as recently as 2021, added: “It means the world to me. I’m so grateful. Four years ago I was a kid just throwing a ball to some of these girls and now I’m playing with them. It’s a great opportunity and I’m so happy I am here.”
Chloe Kelly races to congratulate Michelle Agyemang who is lying on the turf after England sealed their spot in the final. Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott/AP
The England coach, Sarina Wiegman, who has now reached five consecutive major finals for a combination of the Netherlands and England, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We’re going to make a movie some day! Well, this is a movie, my goodness, it’s unbelievable. Here we are again; it’s really, really special.”
Wiegman also had high praise for Agyemang, saying in her press conference: “She has something special. She’s only 19 years old, she’s very mature, she knows exactly what she has to do. When we have to go to her as a target player, she keeps the ball really well. Even when you saw her hit the crossbar, that was not just a shot, she was aiming for it. If she continues like this she has a very bright future.”
The England midfielder Ella Toone joked that it was “worth the stress”, adding: “We grafted and got the goal we needed at the end. Buzzing, we’re in another final. You always believe it [the moment will come]. We’re England, we fight to the end.”
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Italy sank to the floor at full time. Their head coach, Andrea Soncin, said: “Of course this defeat hurts but we have to be proud. The players have deserved a different end. Unfortunately it happens sometimes that you don’t get what you deserve. This is a bitter defeat because we were one minute away from the final.”
The match was played two days after the England defender Jess Carter revealed she had received what the England team described as poisonous racist abuse on social media. The Lionesses said they were not going to take the knee. Instead, the substitutes stood arm-in-arm on the touchline before kick-off, including Kelly, who said: “I’m so proud to stand side-by-side with the girls in this team; Jess Carter and every single player in this team.
“I think it was a special and powerful moment for us, to show that this [racism] is not what we accept, not in society, not in sport, and there needs to be more done to make sure this isn’t happening over and over again. It’s disappointing to see that, sometimes, winning masks racism. It has no place in our sport and no place in society too.”
King Charles offered a message of congratulations. After praising the Lionesses’ skill and determination, and how they “inspire girls and women across the nation”, he wrote: “Good luck, England. May you roar to victory once more.”
