Erica Meg Parkinson is a name that few will be familiar with. The 17-year-old midfielder plays in the Portuguese first division at Valadares Gaia and is the latest player to be called up by England boss Sarina Wiegman.
In a surprise addition to the 23-player England squad named ahead of the next set of World Cup qualifiers, Wiegman responded with: “I like surprises.”
With England set to face Spain at Wembley and Iceland in Reykjavik later this month, all eyes are on the teenage newcomer - who is Parkinson, and could she feature on the pitch?
Who is Erica Meg Parkinson?
The 17-year-old was born in Singapore to an English father and a Japanese mother, before her family relocated to Portugal after her brother Denis was scouted for Porto’s academy.
As a result of her multicultural upbringing, Parkinson speaks four languages - English, Japanese, Portuguese and French. She was also eligible to represent Singapore, Japan or Portugal but has chosen England for now and worked her way up through the pathway, playing Under-17, Under-19 and Under-23.
In what has been a whirlwind year for Parkinson, her senior call-up comes less than six months after her first inclusion at Under-23 level.
Parkinson plays as an attacking midfielder for Portuguese first division side Valadares Gaia, having signed her first professional contract just last year. She is the youngest in the squad and has made 15 appearances this season.
England were the first of her four eligible nations to invite her to a national training camp, after Football Association scouts travelled to Portugal to watch her in action - at the time, she was still playing alongside boys but was identified as a talent for the future.
Speaking in November, Parkinson said her decision to represent England was influenced by the facilities, style of play and professionalism.
She was part of the squad that reached the final of the 2024 Under-17 European Championship and is now emerging as a potential future figure in the Lionesses’ success.
‘I like surprises’ - Sarina Wiegman
England face Spain in a rematch of the Euro 2025 final on Tuesday, 14 April, before travelling to Reykjavik to take on Iceland on Saturday 18 April. It marks a crucial stage in their campaign, with only one of England or the world champions able to secure automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup.
Parkinson is very much a player for the future, and Sarina Wiegman is excited to see what she can offer at senior level, revealing the teenager was left “speechless” after receiving her call-up.
Speaking in a press conference after the squad announcement on Tuesday, Wiegman said: “First of all, we called her up because we are a little bit low in depth in midfield with injuries to Ella Toone and Grace Clinton. So we have to look at who’s next and Erica has gone through the pathway, she plays in Portugal, she has done well with the under-23s.
“She is a very dynamic attacking midfielder who wants to go forward. She is also very aggressive and pretty technical. Of course, it is a big step up from under-23s and the Portuguese competition to go into our senior level, but she gets the opportunity to show where she stands at our level.”
On whether she will get minutes this window, Wiegman suggested it would be unlikely. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, she said: "It will be really good to see her. It would surprise me if we would consider her straight away to come on the pitch. But I like surprises!"
