Lauren Hemp: ‘I put so much pressure on myself I don’t really feel it from the outside’

Quiet and unassuming off the pitch but bold and fearless on it, Lauren Hemp is being tipped for super-stardom at the Euros.

The 21-year-old is used to the hype and expectation, having won the Professional Footballers’ Association young player of the year award four times, first in 2018 aged 17 then in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Now, though, it is ramping up a level. Hemp has had a phenomenal season for club and country, scoring 20 times across 36 games for Manchester City, and will probably be critical to England’s hopes this month. The pressure could be too much for even the most experienced players, but it cannot match the pressure she places on herself.

“Obviously, it’s nice to be recognised as [integral], by the public or the media,” the winger says, surrounded by a throng of journalists at St George’s Park, England’s training base, three years on from watching most of the 2019 Women’s World Cup from her sofa after she had travelled out to France to see the first game. “For me, I’m my biggest critic. I put so much pressure on myself that I don’t really feel it from the outside. But I sometimes look back and realise how far I’ve come and that I’m still so young and think I should not put as much pressure on myself as I do. It’s finding that balance in making sure I do perform at my best but that I do enjoy the journey as well because I think when I enjoy it you get the best out of me.”

Fortunately, that chimes with the ethos Sarina Wiegman has looked to build in the England setup. “Since she’s come in you’ve seen a massive change in the style and the way we play,” says Hemp, who was also a talented cricketer. “But, for me, she’s always told me to have freedom, express myself, and I think that’s what I’ve needed. You’ve seen