Wiegman on special connections and personal highlights

Sarina Wiegman gave her first interview after announcing her contract extension until 2029, talking all things personal highlights from her England journey, looking to the future and much more.

If you haven’t yet had chance to watch it, here are five things you may have missed from our exclusive sit-down with the Lionesses head coach, available to watch exclusively on the official England app.

Special connections

During her time in the role, the Lionesses boss has forged a special bond with the England fans, which has grown deeper and deeper.

And she revealed that support has made her feel at home over the course of the last five years.

“The connection with the fans has been really, really special,” she said. “That’s the culture in this country. Football is so big and I come from a country in the Netherlands where football is really huge, too.

“Here in England, it’s in every corner; in every town, city, wherever you come, there’s football.”

Appreciating the moments

From coming behind against Spain to being crowned European champions at Wembley, the Lionesses enjoyed some unforgettable moments at UEFA Women’s EURO 2022.

And walking out at a sold-out Old Trafford in the tournament opener is something the England boss remembers vividly.

She recalled: “I just tapped on Arjan Veurink’s shoulder and said, ‘Take five seconds. This is really, really special. Let’s go for it.’

“You could tell the team was so connected. There was a feeling in the team – it’s a home tournament, we really want to go after it and we’re going to do anything to make this work.

“When we won it, it was a bit like, ‘I can’t believe it’. The feeling and the noise after the final whistle, I will never, ever forget in my life.”

A new England

Fast forward three years. England retained their crown in Switzerland last summer in a tournament that had everything and if EURO 2025 showed Wiegman anything, it’s that it’s not over until it’s over.

“Those EUROs in 2025 were totally different,” explained Wiegman. “People said, ‘you are going to defend your title’ but we were going, ‘no, we’re not going to defend our title – we’re going to chase for more’.

“We really had to fight at many moments in the games but we did it. We came [from] behind a lot. It also shows the game is never over until the final whistle.”

Reflecting on five years

When Wiegman first stepped foot in Wembley over five years ago after being named as the new England boss, she had high hopes and ambitions.

However, what transpired has even the Dutchwoman in awe – from winning two European titles to making the World Cup Final and driving societal change.

“If I would sum up the success we’ve had in the last years, I think it’s a bit crazy,” she said.

“When I came in five years ago, you hope for things and you hope things go really well but I could never expect that this was going to happen but it comes back to that you’re trying to be at your best."

Evolving and developing

There were a number of reasons the Lionesses head coach listed for opting to extend her stay with the FA.

One of which was the desire to oversee a team that is constantly evolving, from new debutants to experienced figures.

“Players move on and players come in,” continued Wiegman. “I’m excited about that, too – how that transition will go and how we can lead that.

“It starts that the players keep developing and showing me how good they are and improving their game. I’m excited to go on that journey with them.”