Arsenal defender Leah Williamson has been handed the England captain’s armband for the upcoming Arnold Clark Cup.
The 24-year-old Milton Keynes-born centre-back was the first player to captain the Lionesses in new head coach Sarina Wiegman’s reign and she will now pick the armband up again after recently overcoming a hamstring injury which ruled her out of the November camp.
Williamson was named captain for Wiegman’s first match in charge against North Macedonia in Southampton in September after Manchester City defender Steph Houghton pulled out of the squad due to an ankle injury which she sustained in the final hours before the game. Williamson skippered the team for the first four games of FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 qualifying but missed the games against Austria and Latvia in November with her injury.
With Manchester City defender Houghton again out injured, Wiegman seemed likely to select Williamson or Chelsea’s Millie Bright to lead the team into this month’s Arnold Clark Cup and it is the former who has been handed the honour.
England begin their Arnold Clark Cup campaign against Canada in Middlesbrough on Thursday before facing Spain in Norwich on Sunday. The Lionesses end the tournament against Germany in Wolverhampton next Wednesday.
An update from #Lionesses camp… pic.twitter.com/JZZ3L22gT3
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) February 15, 2022