MY ACCOUNT
Aston Villa boss Carla Ward has hailed Hannah Hampton following her England recall and feels Lucy Staniforth is “very unfortunate” not to have been selected.
Goalkeeper Hampton was this week included in the Lionesses squad for the Finalissima meeting with Brazil and friendly against Australia, her first involvement since last summer’s triumphant Euro 2022 campaign.
Regarding her selection, England boss Sarina Wiegman said the twice-capped 22-year-old “needed to sort out some personal issues [and] has done that”, and had produced “great performances”.
And Ward told a press conference on Friday: “I’m delighted. Since the turn of the year she’s put a lot of things in place personally which have helped her, and I think she’s developed no end in these past few months.
“Her performances, I’ve said it the last couple of weeks — there’s not a better in-form keeper in the Women’s Super League right now. That’s a fact.
“She’s absolutely flying, playing some of the best football of her career, so long may that continue.”
Hampton is one of three Villa players to make Wiegman’s 25-player selection alongside Rachel Daly and Jordan Nobbs.
Staniforth, holder of 17 caps, was most recently in the England squad last October. The midfielder joined Villa in January after leaving Manchester United, and Ward said: “She’s very unfortunate not to get called up.
“I think she has been absolutely brilliant since she’s come in.
“I wouldn’t want to comment on what Sarina is looking at but she has been absolutely brilliant for us, what a signing she has been.”
