English women’s football pathway offers encouragement but questions remain | Tom Garry

Player diversity is increasing but WSL lacks English youth as the national side plays catch up with European rivals

With the Women’s Under-19 European Championship currently taking place in Lithuania, the spotlight is shining not only on the brightest young players from across the continent, but also on the health of talent pathways in different countries.

In England, the topic of youth development has been high on the agenda of late, not least because one of the key recommendations in Karen Carney’s extensive review into the women’s game was the need for the Football Association to “fix the talent pathway to create generation after generation of world-beating Lionesses”. The same review also called on the FA to “urgently address the lack of diversity across the women’s game”. That an all-white Lionesses starting XI won the 2022 Euros is just one example highlighting how inaccessible the women’s games has been for players from poorer backgrounds.