When the news broke that Steph Houghton had been included in the provisional 28-player England squad for the Euros, social media went into overdrive.
Defenders and detractors were out in force, with the latter greater in number. The former England captain has not played since January, when she competed five times before reaggravating the achilles injury that had kept her out since September’s international break.
In the meantime, Chelsea’s Millie Bright and Houghton’s Manchester City teammate Alex Greenwood have arguably cemented their status as England’s first-choice centre-back partnership and the defensive issues that blighted Phil Neville’s tenure are less prominent. The Arsenal defender Leah Williamson has been handed the armband. In addition, a host of young defenders have staked a claim for a Euros spot.
Where, then, does Houghton fit and should she make the cut when the squad is trimmed on Wednesday to the 23 who will sit in the home dressing room ready to face a sold-out Old Trafford crowd to open the Euros against Austria on 6 July?
Yes is perhaps the left-field answer from a writer who has repeatedly said there should be no room for sentimentality and has advocated for the phasing out of the older guard of England internationals after an incredible innings, but it is the right one.
There is of course a caveat. Whether Houghton is match-ready is a question that will be answered in training, in front of the coaches who must decide whether she warrants a place. At St George’s Park on Tuesday, Houghton showed no signs of being off the pace.
“I feel as if I’m holding my own in training,” she said, chatting pitchside with journalists who had assembled to watch. “There’s a lot of players being managed, in terms of a physical load, because we don’t want to peak too early. It’s just about following the medical advice to build up my sessions slowly. I haven’t missed a session yet, which is a good thing.”
Even a half-fit Houghton would be better than no Houghton. With Greenwood and Bright likely to start and Williamson becoming an important cog further forward in a double pivot with Keira Walsh, the Lionesses are light at the back. There is huge talent in the three players vying with Houghton to step in at centre-back. Jess Carter and Niamh Charles have excelled when called upon by Chelsea, taking numerous roles as injuries hit the eventual champions, and Lotte Wubben-Moy is forming a formidable partnership with Williamson at the heart of Arsenal’s defence.
However integral that trio will be to England in future, their lack of senior international experience is clear, with 18 caps between them. Houghton, who is still playing for one of the best clubs in Europe, has 121 caps and 13 goals and has captained the team through two World Cups and the 2017 Euros.
With all the respect in the world to Charles, Carter and Wubben-Moy, with the clock ticking down in a critical game during a critical tournament for an England team who have reached the semi-finals of their past two major competitions, it is Houghton’s head and feet you want coming into the game.
Phasing out does not mean being dropped. There is a place for Houghton in the camp, on the bench, in the dressing room and, if necessary, on the pitch. Although few will want to see the 34-year-old standing over a penalty in an England shirt after she agonisingly missed an opportunity to draw the team level with the US in a World Cup semi-final, the character displayed to even step up in that moment, as a defender, with the score at 2-1 and 10 minutes remaining, is the type wanted around a squad aiming for a trophy. Her free-kicks would also be an important addition to England’s arsenal.
Houghton’s inclusion as a non-starting squad member would not be sentimental, it would be smart – if she is fit; fit enough for even 10 minutes of a match.