West Ham United defender, Lucy Parker, has been included in the England Women’s senior squad for the first time following her impressive start to the WSL season.
The 23-year-old will join up with the rest of the team at St George’s Park ahead of two friendly matches against the USA and Czech Republic.
Parker will be joining an England team that is still riding the wave of support that followed this summer’s victorious Euro 2020 campaign.
Delight
Parker spoke to whufc.com about her delight at earning her first call up, “All the hard work and persistence has paid off, especially after this exciting news.
“It will be a surreal feeling joining up with players that I watched lift the Euros this summer, but it is a challenge that fills me with a lot of excitement.
“It’s been a dream of mine ever since I started playing football and it’s fair to say, I probably won’t get much sleep tonight. I can’t wait to join up with the squad next week.
Breakthrough
The West ham defender has previously represented her country at youth level, playing for England’s various age groups from under-15’s to the under 23’s.
Parker’s inclusion follows last season’s breakthrough campaign where she made 24 appearances, predominantly appearing as the right-sided centre-back in West Ham’s back three.
This season though, new Hammers boss Paul Konchesky has opted to play Parker in a back four, and it was in this position that she excelled on the opening weekend of the WSL season as the Hammers kept a clean sheet in a narrow victory over Everton.
World champs
England Head-Coach Sarina Wiegman has named a 24-player squad that includes another debutant: Everton loanee, Jessica Park. Fran Kirby and Chloe Kelly also return to the team after missing last month’s World Cup Qualifiers through injury.
The Lionesses will host the reigning world champions, United States, in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium on Friday 7th October.
Wiegman’s side will then travel to the American Express Stadium in Brighton for the match against Czech Republic four days later.
Parker is only the second West Ham player ever to have earned a call-up to the senior England team. Teammate Grace Fisk was named in the Lionesses’ squad for the 2020 SheBelieves Cup but failed to make it onto the pitch.
Parker will hope to go one better next week and become the first West Ham footballer to play for the England Women’s team.
