It is hard to pick stand-outs following the Lionesses success in Australia and New Zealand this summer, but there are always going to be the players which catch supporters' eyes due to their talent and resilience throughout the tournament. All of the players showed this to get to the final, however these are the most striking.
First up, possibly the most obvious one, has to be Mary Earps between the sticks. No matter how she performed in the lead-up, the final penalty save is enough to get her onto this list. This isn’t downplaying the Manchester United goalkeepers performance throughout the tournament though. She has been a star player for the team since the start and has saved the team during times where the opposition have snuck their way through England's defence. Her hard work paid off when she was crowned with the Golden Glove at the end of the tournament for her performances.
Secondly, Alex Greenwood has been another stand out performer courtesy of her consistency and reliability. The defenders ability to keep possession of the ball and complete successful passes was outstanding, with her 89% pass completion rate, better than any other player to complete more than 250 passes, Greenwood making 542.
Not only this, but her 1v1 defending was exceptional. Overall, Greenwood's World Cup campaign stood out as one of the best, with the Manchester City defender stepping into Leah Williamson's place to have an exceptional tournament.
Lastly, but most certainly not least, has to be Lauren Hemp. The Manchester City forward was incredibly unlucky to not have scored the opener for the Lionesses at the final when her attempt hit the bar. Despite this, she still proved herself to be one of our most attacking threats this tournament and thrived within her role. Hemp was also the player to re-gain England's lead against Australia in the Semi-Final before Alessia Russo finished off the game. This wasn't her only goal this campaign, with the forward also finding the back of the net against Columbia in the Quarter-Final and China in the group stages.
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