Who Is England's Rising Star Agyemang?

Michelle Agyemang had been connected nan transportation for conscionable 41 seconds connected her England debut successful April erstwhile she thundered nan shot into nan apical area against Belgium.

A terrific first touch and moreover amended decorativeness highlighted her typical talent that day.

As a 70th-minute substitute successful England's Euro 2025 quarter-final against Sweden connected Thursday, nan teenage striker slotted her 2nd world goal to support nan Lionesses' trophy defence alive.

Manager Sarina Wiegman had predicted the 19-year-old would "bring thing different", erstwhile naming her successful nan Euros squad.

Fans are getting a sensation of conscionable what that looks for illustration arsenic England caput for a semi-final against Italy, having scraped done a punishment shootout.

As Agyemang's communicative enters a caller chapter, present is simply a look astatine her profession truthful far.

Agyemang is simply a lifelong Arsenal instrumentality and joined nan club's academy astatine nan property of six, aft her father, a grassroots shot coach, secured her a trial.

She initially played arsenic a defender but developed into a forward.

Agyemang played done nan property categories and moved into nan first-team set-up, making her debut successful 2022 aged 16.

Former Arsenal and Scotland defender Jen Beattie told nan Women's Football Weekly podcast Agyemang has go a earthy goalscorer.

"She is unreal," said Beattie.

"She was an academy subordinate erstwhile I was astatine Arsenal and she utilized to travel up to training and was sometimes progressive successful lucifer squads."

Beattie said that Arsenal's players quickly saw nan type of finishing value Agyemang showed against Belgium.

"I kid you not - she would do that successful training," Beattie said. "She is an unthinkable container player, an unbelievable finisher. She doesn't request much than 1 aliases 2 touches, precisely what you saw against Belgium."

After a fistful of first-team appearances, Agyemang was loaned to Women's Championship broadside Watford for nan 2023-24 season.

Agyemang scored 5 goals successful 10 appearances astatine Watford, and Arsenal rewarded her pinch a first master contract.

The 19-year-old joined Brighton connected indebtedness successful September and scored 5 goals successful 22 appearances.

Agyemang's emergence done nan England ranks has reflected her maturation astatine nine level.

She has made 25 age-group appearances for nan nationalist squad - from nan under-16s to nan under-23s.

In conscionable a fewer days successful April, she went from scoring for nan under-19s successful their triumph against Austria to producing a stunning cameo for nan elder side, which led to her Euros call-up.

The first England seniors chance whitethorn not person travel on had it not been for a insignificant wounded suffered by Arsenal team-mate Alessia Russo.

Agyemang told BBC Sport successful April that she had knowledgeable "a crazy 10 days".

"Coming pinch nan under-19s, playing successful nan Euros information two, coming complete present for nan seniors, it has been a really bully acquisition and I'm really grateful for nan opportunity," she said.

"Both nan squad and nan coaches, everyone has been really welcoming. I've felt nan emotion from everyone and you tin spot it from nan capacity connected nan transportation I felt for illustration myself and confident.

"This is nan level I want to play at, week successful week out, astatine nine arsenic well, making judge I do everything I tin to get backmost present again and thief nan squad get fresh for nan Euros arsenic well."

Wiegman was afloat of praise for Agyemang aft her goalscoring debut disconnected nan bench.

"That extremity was conscionable incredible. The composure, nan first touch and nan 2nd touch. For her, it was really bully that she comes connected and wrong a infinitesimal she has nan moment," she said.

England skipper Leah Williamson said: "I deliberation nan first training convention astatine Arsenal she deed maine difficult capable to retrieve her name. I'm delighted for her."

Beattie added: "She has made a sanction for herself now. There is nary amended intro to a elder squad than that successful an world debut."

Ellen White - nan Lionesses' grounds goalscorer - described Agyemang arsenic "a phenomenal talent".

"Take her to nan Euros," White said successful April. "There is immoderate excitement, thing different and thing fresh."

Agyemang, who was a shot woman successful Wiegman's first crippled for England, is now nan manager's trusted wildcard.