Teenager Erica Meg Parkinson has been named in England’s preparation squad for the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next month.
Boss Lydia Bedford has called up the North Carolina Courage midfielder, 18, as part of a 24-player squad for a warm weather training camp in Portugal next week.
They will have a final opportunity to impress when they face their hosts in a friendly on Thursday, 13 August. Three players will get trimmed for the World Cup squad, which is due to be announced on Thursday, 20 August.
Parkinson was part of Sarina Wiegman’s senior set-up for the games against Spain and Iceland in April and has also featured for the under-23 side.
She is joined in the under-20 group by Arsenal pair Sophie Harwood and Jessie Gale, as well as Eva Hendle, who joined Rangers on loan from Chelsea this week.
This is the fourth training camp over the summer, with Bedford’s side having beaten Canada and Colombia, drawn with the USA and lost to Japan so far.
It will be England’s first appearance at an Under-20 Women’s World Cup since 2018 and they have been drawn in a group featuring Brazil, Tanzania and Canada.
They will begin their campaign against Canada on Saturday, 5 September.
“We’ve had a really positive summer with some strong performances against top-quality opposition,” Bedford said. “The players have embraced every challenge and I’m really pleased with the progress we’ve made.
“With the World Cup squad announcement just around the corner, it’s an important opportunity for the players to show what they can do.”
