Full-back Demi Stokes says that teammate Leah Williamson’s calm and consistent approach to the game makes her a good England captain.
The Arsenal defender is currently standing in for injured teammate Steph Houghton who withdrew from the current camp on Friday after suffering an injury in training.
Williamson wore the captain’s armband for the first time as England defeated North Macedonia 8-0 at St Mary’s Stadium on Friday evening and she will again retain her role against Luxembourg this evening.
When discussing Williamson’s qualities in the pre-match press conference, teammate Stokes said that the player’s cool and consistent approach makes her a great leader.
“Leah is just Leah, she is very true to who she is,” Stokes said. “I think that’s what it is all about being a captain, it’s not about going very high or very low in your emotions.
“That’s what you need to be a captain, to be consistent and to be supportive to the group, support the team. That is what Leah does and I think that she does that very well.”
While Williamson has been named the stand-in England captain, Stokes went on to say that there are a number of strong personalities in the squad and head coach Sarina Wiegman has plenty of quality leaders to choose from.
She added “Leah brings many qualities, she’s experienced, she’s young and that is why Sarina picked her but Sarina could have picked anyone in the squad because we are all leaders in our own right.
“Leah is very cool and very calm, that’s very good for the team. More importantly, Leah brings herself and that is what we want in this team, that players can be themselves, be comfortable of who they are.”
England’s latest FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia New Zealand 2023 qualifier against Luxembourg kicks-off at 7.15pm and will be screened live on ITV4.
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