Lexi Potter made her England debut against Greece in the World Cup play-off second leg at the King Power; the 20-year-old Chelsea midfielder impressed and could be in line to start if the Lionesses reach the Brazil tournament next summer Lexi Potter could not have done more to prove she should not only be in England’s World Cup squad next summer, she could also be in the starting XI. It’s a big shout for a player that’s only just broken into the England team, but her 60-minute debut against Greece couldn’t have gone much better. “It was really special,” the Chelsea midfielder told ITV Sport after the game. “I am very happy and proud. It was a bit of a rush before the game and I lost my phone! I was a bit nervous but once I got on the pitch, I really enjoyed it. “It was almost a dream come true. As a young girl, it’s what you dream of, playing for your country. To make my debut and to be able to start as well is very special.” The 20-year old grew into the game at the King Power Stadium. She broke up attacks, showed her range of passing, allowed Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Lauren James to shine and even had a goal disallowed. England’s next few games get gradually harder. Ukraine await in the final round of play-offs before a Nations League campaign against three teams in and around the top 20 in the world. Potter, if trusted, can get a chance to grow into the role as an England starter while also playing in important matches. Not many players make their debut in their first international camp under Sarina Wiegman. The fact Potter was picked to start a game shows how much she’s impressing already. “You could see that there were some nerves but that’s completely normal,” Wiegman told ITV Sport of her midfielder after the game in Leicester. “We kept an eye on her already and now she’s a starter for Chelsea, she did really well. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player “In our camp, she did really well straight away. Your first start for England, that’s a big moment, but you can tell the position she picks up [that she was ready]. She scored a goal that was unfortunately disallowed, but nice for her.” Keira Walsh, Potter’s team-mate at Chelsea, has also become her biggest hype artist. She’s been telling anyone that’ll listen about the midfielder’s quality and potential. Now the Lionesses have seen it first-hand on the training pitch and in a competitive match. England can take 26 players to the World Cup, a first in the women’s tournament. That means six or seven midfielders will be part of the squad. With Walsh and Stanway certainties, it’s a battle between Potter, Laura Blinkilde Brown, Erica Meg Parkinson, Ella Toone, Grace Clinton and Lucia Kendall for the other spots. It’s realistic one or two of them could be left behind. Toone and Clinton were on the outside looking in at the start of the international break before being called up as injury replacements. All of a sudden England have a load of options in a position they were once struggling for depth. England will face Ukraine in the second round of the play-offs to secure a place at next year’s World Cup.
Ukraine beat Slovakia 4-1 on aggregate to progress.
The two sides were drawn in the same qualification group, with the Lionesses winning 6-1 away before following up with a 3-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Ukraine will play at ‘home’ in the first leg, and away in the second. The ties will be played between November 26 and December 5. Georgia Stanway to Sky Sports News: “She’s a really good kid. It’s so good to have her around the group. She’s composed, she’s calm and she appears older than what you think she is. She’s come in and it’s as if she’s been here for a really long time.” Freya Godfrey – who also made her England debut on Tuesday – to Sky Sports News: “I can’t even explain it. We were in our hotel room earlier and we were going through our camera rolls with Erica [Meg Parkinson] and I came across a picture of me and Lex from 2022 on camp. “To then have this night with her, I couldn’t be prouder of her and the season she’s had. She more than deserves it. To share it with someone as special as her, I’ve grown up with her in the youth age groups, and talking about it gives me chills. “Watching her walk out and sing the national anthem, me and Erica felt really emotional and proud of her.” Jess Carter to Sky Sports News: “She’s great. I remember playing with her when I was at Chelsea. It’s great to see her here and in this camp, she’s been excellent. She’s professional and she definitely does not stand out as if she’s fresh in here so I’m really happy for her.” Alessia Russo to ITV Sport: “She’s been brilliant in training. You can tell that she’s ready for this level. She is a great kid and wants to learn. She’s got the best in learning off Keira. She looks so confident and composed.” Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.
