Episode details

Radio 5 Live,26 Feb 2026,36 mins
Extra: Inside England with Lauren Hemp and Leah Williamson.
BBC Women's Football WeeklyAvailable for over a year
Ben Haines and Em Sanders are back at St. George's Park as the Lionesses get ready to start their journey to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Ben and Em look ahead to the first fixtures of England's qualifying campaign against Ukraine and Iceland early next month and the squad are boosted by the return of captain Leah Williamson who is back in the squad for the first time since Euro 2025. Leah joins Ben for a quick chat to discuss being back with the squad and what, or more specifically who, she missed while she was away recovering from her knee injury. Ben is joined by another member of the squad, Manchester City's Lauren Hemp, who discusses bringing her good form and confidence from club to country, enjoying her football again and what she's packed for an extended time away on camp. Plus, Ben and Em ask what Jess Park's best position is in this side given her current form and discuss the key positions in the back and forward lines that could be up for grabs over the next few weeks. TIMECODES: 00:03 - Ben Haines and Em Sanders are back at St. George's Park for the start of the 2027 World Cup cycle. 05:10 - England captain Leah Williamson joins Ben. 09:00 - How could England's defence line up over these two qualifiers? 12:05 - Lauren Hemp's brilliant form this season. 14:25 - England and Manchester City forward Lauren Hemp joins Ben. 29:22 - Ben and Em react to Lauren's interview. 32:20 - What are the key positions in the forward line that could be up for grabs?
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