Parkinson gets England-U20s call before World Cup

What the report says

Teenage midfielder Erica Meg Parkinson has been included in England’s 24-player preparation squad for the Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which will be played in Poland next month, according to BBC Sport Football. The 18-year-old North Carolina Courage player is one of several prospects selected by head coach Lydia Bedford for a warm-weather training camp in Portugal next week.

The squad will use the camp and a friendly against the hosts on Thursday, 13 August, as a final chance to make an impression before the World Cup group is finalized. Bedford is set to reduce the group by three players when the tournament squad is announced on Thursday, 20 August. Other names in the squad include Arsenal’s Sophie Harwood and Jessie Gale, plus Eva Hendle, who has joined Rangers on loan from Chelsea.

BBC Sport says this is England’s fourth camp of the summer, with Bedford’s side having already recorded wins over Canada and Colombia, drawn with the United States and lost to Japan. England are returning to the Under-20 Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2018 and have been drawn with Brazil, Tanzania and Canada. Their opening match is scheduled against Canada on Saturday, 5 September.

Parkinson has also been involved in England’s broader youth and senior pathway, featuring for the under-23s and being called into Sarina Wiegman’s senior set-up earlier in the year.