Reds receive September call-ups

Wednesday 08 September 2021 09:26

Manchester United Women made a winning start to the new campaign over the weekend and now several Reds have received call-ups to represent their nations in the upcoming September internationals.

Marc Skinner’s side registered victory over Reading in our WSL opener on Friday evening and are now preparing to take on Leicester City on Sunday (12 September), in our next league outing.

Those lucky enough to receive call-ups will then join up with their respective national sides before returning to Manchester prior to the end of the month, when we will continue our 2021/22 season with the visit of champions Chelsea to Leigh Sports Village, on 26 September. 

Highlights: United Women 2 Reading 0 Video

Highlights: United Women 2 Reading 0

United Women took all three points from our WSL season opener on Friday evening...

A third of those call-ups came in the England setup, with four of United stars named in new head coach Sarina Wiegman’s first Lionesses squad. 

Reds captain Katie Zelem has been selected by the former Netherlands Women boss, off the back of her impressive form in recent weeks for United, and she will now be hoping to earn her first international cap during this month’s 2023 World Cup qualifiers against North Macedonia and Luxembourg. 

Zelem had originally received her first national call-up 12 months ago but had to withdraw from that camp after contracting COVID-19. 

As well as the skipper being included, there is also a recall for Reds goalkeeper Mary Earps, along with call-ups for fellow team-mates Lucy Staniforth and Ella Toone, with the latter set to build on her rapidly growing international experience, having made her Lionesses debut and gone to the Tokyo Olympics with Team GB in the last 12 months. 

Replacing Wiegman as the Dutch team's head coach is Portland Thorns' Mark Parsons whose 24-player squad features United midfielder Jackie Groenen. 

Our no.14, who also represented her nation at the Olympic Games over the summer, has been named in the Netherlands' group to take on the Czech Republic and Iceland in World Cup qualifying on 17 and 21 September respectively. 

Our Reds being called up by new national team coaches is a continuing theme of the month, as new Scotland boss Pedro Martinez Losa has picked the trio of Kirsty Smith, Kirsty Hanson and Martha Thomas in his squad. 

It is a reward for Hanson who netted three times in pre-season before opening our goalscoring account for the season on Friday, while our new no.9 Thomas is also included for their World Cup qualifiers alongside Smith, in which they will be welcomed by Hungary on 17 September before hosting the Faroe Islands at Hampden Park, four days later.

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Kirsty reflected on the special feeling of scoring in front of the returning United fans in our season-opening victory.

Elsewhere, Maria Thorisdottir and Vilde Boe Risa have been selected by Norway for their upcoming qualifying matches versus Armenia and Kosovo this month while defender Ona Batlle’s good few days has continued with a call-up for Spain. 

Our full-back netted her first United goal in Friday’s season-opening win and will join up with the Spanish team for their September qualifiers after our meeting with the Foxes in the Midlands, this weekend.

Wales have announced that three Reds have been added to their squad.

Hayley Ladd, Carrie Jones and Chloe Williams will join up with Gemma Grainger's side for their upcoming games with Kazakhstan and Estonia.

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