‘GOAT’ Lucy Bronze carried England through Euro 2025 – Morgan
England defender Esme Morgan has joked that the note she gave to Lucy Bronze during the Lionesses’ dramatic quarterfinal comeback against Sweden, on their way to the Euro 2025 title, read “save us GOAT [greatest of all time].”
England rode their luck throughout the knockout stages of the tournament, and were grateful for late goals on more than occasion on their road to the trophy.
“I think sometimes you just get weird feelings that you can’t really explain but they possess how you feel emotionally in that moment,” Morgan told ESPN Futbol W.
“And I just felt throughout that game [the quarterfinal] even when we went 2-0 down that it wasn’t our time to go home.
“So there was just this sense of calm and I think we have a lot of belief in our team, in the talent that we’ve got … That we can turn any deficit around and we’re capable of beating anyone.”
Bronze was a crucial part of England defending their European Championship title — despite playing the whole tournament with a fractured tibia — and scored the vital goal starting the side’s comeback from two goals down in the quarterfinal.
“When you look around the pitch and see players like Lucy [Bronze], such an incredible leader, incredible competitor, a warrior,” Morgan said. “A freak, her mindset is like nothing I have ever seen before.
“She lives for those moments where the team is counting on her, relying on her to pull out a moment of brilliance and that’s what she did to get the goal that started off the comeback.
“I don’t actually know for certain what was on the note [that she passed to Bronze during the quarterfinal], I didn’t look at it myself.
“But I joked that it said ‘Save us GOAT’ because Lucy’s just incredible and that’s what she read because she just became a women possessed for the rest of the match and carried us back to the comeback and a penalty through to the semis.”
Morgan left the WSL in 2024, moving to Washington Spirit in the NWSL from Manchester City, and said she has enjoyed the different challenges that have come with her time in the United States so far.
“Forwards in this league are incredible they are so dangerous,” Morgan said. “You have to learn to deal with different types of players, really grateful for all the different challenges I’ve had from the different teams that I’ve played for that’s kind of molded me to the player that I am now.
“The playoffs was a huge thing for me because playing in Europe that’s not something that lives within the structure of the season.
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“Our playoff journey last season was so special.
“The atmosphere at those two games was electric and I was like OK this is what American playoffs are like — all the drama and excitement and I’d say that for me is what sums up the league, its chaos at times but its so much fun to be a part of and I’m so glad that I came here.”
After her Euros win with England, Morgan was invited to NFL team Jacksonville Jaguars’ London fixture on Oct. 19 by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, an invitation she was pleased to receive.
“I was flabbergasted when I received a video from Trevor, I’ve supported the Jags [Jaguars] for years honestly … I honestly couldn’t believe it I was so excited,” she said.
Morgan’s Washington Spirit take on Gotham FC on Saturday, where she will go up against her England teammate Jess Carter.