Esme Morgan: Who is Lioness from Sheffield ahead of Women's Euro 2025 final showdown with Spain?
When Sheffield tunes in to watch the Lionesses take on Spain this Sunday, there’s every chance we’ll see a football star from High Storrs help England win the cup.
Esme Morgan, 24, who attended High Storrs School, came off the bench at the 70th minute during the quarter-final with Sweden in her major tournament debut. By the whistle, England had equalised and won it 3-2 at penalties.
No one knows whether Esme will be held in reserves for the final this Sunday or will be straight onto the field, but with a big screen going up in Tudor Square in time for the game, all of Sheffield will be behind her.
Who is Lioness centre-back defender Esme Morgan?
Esme Morgan may have been born and schooled in Sheffield, but she has been a lifelong Manchester City fan and season ticket holder since she was three-years-old.
The now-24-year-old began playing football in Sheffield as a teenager with Ecclesall Rangers but rose through youth teams until she achieved her dream and was signed for Manchester City’s Women’s Super League in 2019. She also debuted for the club’s senior side in 2017.
The defender scored against Birmingham City in 2021 and captained her club for the first time against Reading in 2022.
In 2024, Esme left the club and crossed the pond to play in the America’s National Women’s Soccer League for the Washington Spirit, where she remains on a four-year deal.
She was first called up to the England national squad in the under-17 team in 2017, and has made 43 international appearances.
Esme was an unused substitute in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and is now on the bench as a centre-back for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025.
Her 70th-minute sub against Sweden on July 17 was her tournament debut. She told reporters after the match she had unwavering faith the team could pull back from their 2-0 position, saying: “Sometimes you just have a sense of calm, which you can’t explain, of belief that we’re not going to let this happen. I always had faith.”
She was then picked to start over Jess Carter against Italy on July 22, where England won 2-1.
Speaking on ITV ahead of the match, England manager Sarina Wiegman explained her decision to bring in Esme Morgan for Jess Carter.
Wiegman said: “That decision is based on the tactical challenges we have and we think in this game that is best for Esme.
“She’s ready, she’s been ready for a while, she had to wait for that, she showed that the other night and I hope she does really well.”
Now, she is ready to hit the field for the final against Spain - who knows if she will make be called off the bench or on the pitch from the beginning.
In 2023, Esme raised over £20,000 for the Becton Centre for Children & Young People, a mental health centre in Sheffield. She ahs been a patron of Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity since 2020.