England Squad Named for World Cup Qualifiers vs Spain, Iceland

England manager Sarina Wiegman named a 23-player squad on Tuesday for the Women's World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Iceland, highlighting the inclusion of 17-year-old midfielder Erica Meg Parkinson in a surprise first senior call-up. The Lionesses will host world champions Spain at Wembley Stadium on April 14 before traveling to face Iceland in Reykjavik on April 18, marking the team's 499th and 500th international fixtures.

Parkinson, who plays for Portuguese first-division side Valadares Gaia, becomes the youngest potential debutant in recent England history if she features. Born in Singapore to an English father and Japanese mother, the teenager has represented England across youth levels, including the under-23s last November, where she impressed against Norway and the United States. Eligible for England, Japan, and Portugal, Parkinson chose the Lionesses after early scouting visits to her club games. Wiegman described her as a dynamic, aggressive attacking midfielder with strong technical skills, brought in to address midfield shortages caused by injuries to Manchester United's Ella Toone and Manchester City's Grace Clinton.

"We called her up because we are a little...