Lauren Hemp: England’s dynamic winger in profile

Manchester City winger Lauren Hemp was one of the Lionesses’s most dynamic attacking threats at Euro 2022, providing a steady supply of crosses into the box from the left while unafraid to cut inside for a shot, perfectly complimenting Beth Mead’s game on the opposite flank. She only scored once in the tournament, during an 8-0 demolition of Norway in the group stages, but supplied the crucial extra-time corner that was poked home by Chloe Kelly in the final against Germany to secure the trophy and send an 87,000-strong Wembley crowd into raptures. But Hemp, 22, can certainly finish, having scored 10 for her country at senior level in 38 games, four of which came in a brutal 20-0 thrashing of Latvia in November 2021. Since last summer’s triumph, Sarina Wiegman has experimented with playing her as a number nine in a friendly against the USA last October, which paid off when Hemp scored early on in a 2-1 win, giving the manager fresh food for thought as she seeks a permanent replacement for retired record goalscorer Ellen White up front. Hailing from North Walsham in Norfolk, she began her career with her hometown team, playing alongside her sister Amy, before moving on to Norwich City to continue her youth career. From there, Hemp moved west to play for Bristol City, where she scored nine goals in 24 appearances between 2016 and 2018 and was named England’s Young Player of the Year for 2017, catching the eye of Manchester City. She has since scored 30 times for the blue half of Manchester in 81 games to date, including in the 2019 FA Cup Final when she came off the bench to net the winner and lift her first trophy. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule