Lionesses host the country’s most promising goalkeepers at St. George’s Park

Talented young goalkeepers from across the country met at St. George’s Park for a development day where they had the chance to meet, and learn from, the three current Lionesses goalkeepers - Hannah Hampton, Anna Moorhouse and Ellie Roebuck. 

20 of England’s most promising goalkeepers were identified from across the England talent pathway and invited to the national football centre to take part in an inspiring event focused on honing their skillset and exposing them to an elite senior environment. 

The aim of the day was to develop the goalkeepers’ technical skills, with a specific focus on three areas: distribution, one v one and communication. As the women’s game develops, these skills have been identified by FA coaches as increasingly important for high-performing goalkeepers. 

The event began with the group observing the England senior women’s team training, with insight from goalkeeping coach Darren Ward. Later in the afternoon, Hampton, Moorhouse and Roebuck returned for a Q&A session led by former Lioness and current Goalkeeping Top Talent Programme coach, Rachel Brown-Finnis. 

The day also saw a communication workshop led by England para team coaches Liam Drake and Duncan Gilchrist which explored how the para-Lioness goalkeepers communicate effectively with visually impaired players.

In addition, a cross-sport collaboration session was also prepared with the Red Roses kicking coach Andy Holloway, who shared his advice on how to improve their kicking technique and distribution.