Grace Clinton's England debut could not have been better.
The 20-year-old has been in the spotlight this season on loan at Tottenham from Manchester United and wasted no time in impressing Wiegman in Spain.
Playing in an unfamiliar number eight position, Clinton looked comfortable alongside England midfield regulars Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone.
By the time she was substituted in the second half, receiving a warm hug from Wiegman before taking her seat in the dugout, she had shown convincing skill and will likely get another chance to do so soon.
“She plays like a natural. She wants to have the ball. She understands what we're talking about right away. You can see that on the pitch,” England manager Wiegman said. He spoke later.
“It was a new role for her, so we did some tactics and some individual things. And you can see that she's embracing things positively. She's just on the scene. Just go out there and play.”
“You're working hard for this moment.”
In the stands at Estadio Nuevo Mirador, a 7,200-capacity stadium in Algeciras, quite a distance from England's hotel in Marbella, were Clinton's mother and father, who had flown in expecting to see him make his senior debut. I was sitting.
Clinton is one of several young players to join Wiegmann's first-team squad, and on Friday she proved she can set an example for the under-23 players who joined the Lionesses in Spain.
“I can't even describe it in words to be honest. It feels amazing. I found out Thursday night.” [I was starting]” said Mr. Clinton.
“Throughout the week, ideas and things might come to me and I couldn't believe it. It's surreal, but you have to absorb it because you work so hard to seize this moment. That’s it.”
Clinton said she “couldn't wait” to “see the reaction” of her parents full-time, but expected to receive a potentially “harsh” report from her father on what she still could improve on. I joked that there was.
“My dad knows his football so he's going to have a good talk with me and I'm going to be there for a while,” Clinton added.
Clinton, who played alongside Stanway, who played deep in midfield against Austria, and United teammate Thun, said he felt “really comfortable”.
“The girls supported me so much. It was fun playing with Tooney. I know her well and Georgia really helped me at the back, so I felt really comfortable. “Clinton added.
“Eighth place this season is a bit new for me. Sarina said earlier in the week that she was trying something new, so it's different but nice to be there. ”
“It's very exciting that she still has a lot of work to do.”
Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood, who wore the captain's armband for England on Friday, hopes many other youngsters can follow in Clinton's footsteps and make an impression on the main stage.
“We've got an under-23 team involved this week, so it'll be motivation for them to see that and know there might be an opportunity for them in the future,” Greenwood said. Ta.
“Obviously we are really proud of Grace for taking advantage of the opportunity and scoring the goal.
“She's great. She's really mature for her age and obviously a fellow Scouser, so it's always nice to have another Scouser at camp.”
At the beginning of this season, Tottenham manager Robert Villahamn said: Clinton will be “this country's next superstar.”
Clinton, who has scored four goals and provided two assists in 13 appearances for Spurs, has been outstanding in the Women's Super League, but Greenwood believes she has a long way to go.
“She's a great kid, she's very energetic, she wants to learn, she always asks questions, which I love about her. She takes criticism really well and wants to improve,” Greenwood said. Ta.
“I think she's a very good midfielder on the ball and a player who makes good runs into the box. She's an intelligent footballer and the fact is that she still has a lot to work on. That’s exciting.”
