Lauren Hemp says she doesn’t think about how young she is – so, for a moment, let’s put age to one side. The Manchester City winger is close to finishing her fifth full season of professional football and it has already been her best yet, with the promise of there being more to come. She has led City from the front in what was at times a difficult year, scoring 20 goals in all competitions, including a personal best of 10 in the Women’s Super League, and has become just as important to England ahead of a home European Championships this summer.
She is in her own right already one of the most dangerous attacking players in the world. When the football writers covering the women’s game in England voted for their player of the season last month, she finished third – behind Chelsea’s Sam Kerr and Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema. And yet at 21, Hemp is still near the start of her journey, even if she admits it feels like she has been around the WSL for quite a while. As a three-time PFA Young Player of the Year winner, that talent and potential has been evident for some time, but there has been a shift this season and Hemp’s abilities are no longer being qualified by her age.
