Erica Parkinson: Sarina Wiegman's youngest-ever Lionesses call-up who is thriving in Portugal and eligible for four countries

Born in Singapore to a Japanese mother and an English father, Parkinson's family relocated to Portugal when she was 10 years old after her brother, Denis, was scouted to play in the Porto academy. Parkinson herself would spend time with FC Foz and Leixoes, while also training with Benfica on several occasions, before joining Valadares Gaia in 2023, where she would make her senior debut at the age of 15.

The move to Portugal would introduce a fourth nation that Parkinson was eligible to represent at international level, but England would be her choice, as it was "the first country that invited me into the national training centre," she explained last year.

"They sent a scout out to Portugal to see my games,"she recalled. "I was playing with boys at that point. They saw some clips of me online and realised I was half-English. Once I got here, I just really liked the culture. Everyone is kind but also ambitious. I enjoyed the way England conducted themselves in the training sessions and the style of play in games."

While also continuing to make a serious impact on the first team at Valadares Gaia, voted the best young player in the Portuguese league in the 2024-25 season, Parkinson would rapidly rise up through the England youth ranks, representing the nation of her father at the U17 Euros and World Cup in 2024, before progressing up to the U19s to play at their Euros and, back in November, into the U23s.

Then came the big news in March that Parkinson had been named to a senior England squad for the first time. Amid injuries to Ella Toone and Grace Clinton, the Lionesses were lacking depth in midfield and particularly in the No.10 role.

"Then we're going to look at who's next," Wiegman explained. "Erica has gone through the pathway. She plays in Portugal. She has done well with the U23s. Of course, it's a big step from the U23s and the Portuguese competition to go into senior level, but she gets the opportunity to show where she stands at our level."

A natural playmaker, Parkinson excels in the No.10 role because of her willingness to take shots on, a combination of excellent vision and execution of passing, and how comfortable she is using both feet. Mix it in with a confidence that oozes out of her when she plays and the 17-year-old is simply someone who makes things happen.

Despite her more advanced position, Parkinson is not a player who shies away from her responsibilities out of possession, though. Tenacious and aggressive, she is full of energy off the ball and is a good presser as well as a hard worker.

The fact she has been playing regular senior football since she was 15 years old also means she is physically more developed than most her age and can be more successful in her duels as a result.

One of the things that makes Parkinson stand out more is her different football upbringing, with her exposed to a more fluid style of play in Portugal than what most of her England team-mates will have experienced at home. That is a positive, but Parkinson is also cognisant of how it requires her to adjust.

"Portugal's style is less focused on the tactical side of things," she admitted last year. "When I come here, I have to turn on the tactical side of my brain. I need to be more disciplined.

"I don't want to change too much because the qualities I bring are because of the type of football I play in Portugal and what I grew up with. Some aspects I try to change, but others are my specialities so I don't want to take them away from my game."

Striking that balance will be quite an interesting thing to follow as Parkinson's development in England's system continued, and even more so depending on where her club career may take her in the future.

There's also going to be steps up that she needs to acclimatise to in the coming years. The Portuguese league is a good level and there are players from that league who have adapted well to other divisions and thrived - such as Olivia Smith, who Arsenal made the first million-pound women's player last summer after her impressive performances at Liverpool. Parkinson will hope to have similar success, and there are signs that she can, given how well she has moved up through the ranks in the England youth teams and how early she has had success in Portugal.

It's really hard to come up with a satisfactory comparison for Parkinson as she plays with more fast-paced intent and directness than a lot of the well-known No.10s in the women's game. One who is perhaps slightly similar is Fran Kirby, the current Brighton forward who was a crucial part of Chelsea's rise to dominance in England and also a star of the Lionesses' side that won the 2022 European Championship.

At times in her career, Kirby played a little wider, especially when linking up with Sam Kerr at Chelsea in a free-roaming role that really allowed her to excel. But her ability to score and create, and confidence in attempting to carve out those chances or take shots at goal, is akin to how Parkinson, who can play wider if necessary, plays, even if it's still not a perfect comparison to make. Kirby has always had a great work rate, too, something England's latest call-up also possesses.

Many clubs were likely already keeping tabs on Parkinson even before this England call-up, but its occurrence makes it all the less likely that the teenager will be playing for Valadares Gaia beyond the current season.

Where she goes next will be fascinating. There will be some big clubs hoping to snap up one of England's most exciting young prospects, but it's also vital that Parkinson goes somewhere that has a good development plan for her and can offer her minutes, as that is what young talents need to flourish, as she has shown while in Portugal.

As the summer transfer window nears, rumours of interest will likely arise. For now, though, it's about Parkinson seeing the season out strongly with Valadares Gaia, potentially helping them to secure a spot in Champions League qualifiers, and about focusing on this upcoming England camp. Rubbing shoulders with world-class talent and players who have graced the biggest stages will be a great experience for the 17-year-old, who, at the very least, will have a front row seat for the clash against world champions Spain on Tuesday, even if she doesn't get on the pitch herself.

There could be a chance a few days later when the Lionesses travel to face Iceland, but again, even if that isn't the case, this is going to be a wonderful opportunity for Parkinson to be in England's environment and under the watchful eye of Wiegman like never before. She might not be a talent that fans of the Lionesses get to see properly this week, but she is a player they are likely to be seeing plenty of in the years to come.

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