Get to know WU23s star Erica Meg Parkinson

“It’s been a very eventful year,” is the assessment from England women’s under-23s international Erica Meg Parkinson – a player who is both multi-talented and multilingual.

But if this year was eventful for the teenager, 2024 was on another scale – part of the team that reached the final of the UEFA Women's U17 Championship and the semi-final of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.

Now, her performances have caught the eye of Young Lionesses head coach Emma Coates, with Parkinson included in her first WU23s squad for games against Norway and the USA.

“I’m really enjoying it, especially because it’s the first under-23s camp and I wasn’t really expecting the call-up – I was expecting to go to Spain with the under-20s – but it’s great to be back on camp,” said Parkinson.

“I just enjoy coming to camp every time. Even coming to a new team like the under-23s, I feel like you instantly click with people because you have so much to relate about.”

Currently on the books of Portuguese first division side Valadares Gaia – for whom she penned her first professional deal last year – the 17 year old admits to being the youngest in the team at her club but her somewhat unconventional journey has paid off.

“I know Sarah Brasero also played in Portugal and one of my friends Ria [Bose] who plays for England but other than that, it’s quite unusual,” explained Parkinson.

“I feel like everyone finds it really cool that I’m in a different environment. They think it’s a bit exotic. Obviously, I don’t have an English accent, so whenever I talk to new players, they’re always like, ‘where’s your accent from?’

“It’s nice to fly over to England because I don’t get to see it much, so it’s nice to be able to do that for camps.”

Born in Singapore to an English father and a Japanese mother, the teenager was exposed to different cultures from a young age – even more so when the family relocated to Portugal where Parkinson now lives and plays her football.

“It was mainly for my brother, Denis,” she recalled. “He played in Singapore with me but then he got scouted to play for Porto’s academy.

“We kind of moved because of that but also because of the family – we wanted to be closer to Europe. There’s more of a football culture and it’s also close to the UK and my dad’s family is here. It was for numerous reasons but mainly for football.

“Off the pitch, I really like the culture in Portugal. It’s a bit more laid back than it would be in Singapore which it’s nice. It’s relaxing, you can go to the beach in your free time and it’s a really nice landscape.

“In Singapore, it’s very multicultural, especially because I went to an international school. That’s where I learnt all the languages I know and just getting to know people from different cultures – I really enjoyed it.

“I think also Singapore is a very safe place, so sometimes it’s like you live in a bubble. It was really important for me to move out to Portugal. I think the academy there is much better, the football system and obviously, they’re traditionally a football cultured country, so it was nice to be in and around that.”

Her love of football originated from her dad, who the midfielder explained is a dedicated Manchester United fan, while her brother also represented Japan at youth level.

As such, Parkinson herself speaks four languages: English, Japanese, Portuguese and French.

“French I don't practice as much because that was for GCSEs but sometimes, I’ll use my Japanese, especially because there’s a lot of Japanese players in the UK,” she added. “English and Portuguese I do use on a daily basis.

“I have played against Japan in the World Cup, so that was interesting to play against another country that I could be eligible to play for.”

And it’s an exciting time to be a part of the England pathway, according to Parkinson.

Earlier this year, the Home Nations announced their intention to bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the joint bid, alongside the Irish, Scottish and Welsh Football Associations, officially submitted last week.

“That’s really exciting and motivating,” said Parkinson, who would be 27 years of age by the time the tournament comes around. “We touched on it in some of our meetings and I think it’s extra fuel for us players who are trying to make it through the pathway, knowing that we have something like that so grand to look forward to in the future. Historically, it has a big impact on a lot of players.

“It fuels you to really want to make it to the seniors even more and stay there because you can break through but then you need to be at a top level for a decade to be able to play in that and to stay there.”

And she has plenty of inspiration to turn to, with designs on Sarina Wiegman’s senior team in mind.

“They’ve been really receptive of young players,” explained Parkinson. “I was playing with Michelle [Agyemang] earlier this year and Katie Reid as well, then seeing them get called up, I’m so happy for them but it’s also really exciting for yourself to know that they really value the pathway.”

The tournament might be a decade in the distance but both the immediate and faraway future look bright for the teenager.