by Adam Millington 

WEMBLEY STADIUM awaits Sarina Weigman’s Lionesses as they take on Northern Ireland in their quest for World Cup qualification on Saturday.

A lot has changed since the last occasion these sides met in February earlier this year. That fixture was England’s first since the pandemic began, played behind closed doors at St George’s Park and available only to viewers via a BBC Red Button stream marred by a camera which swayed in the wind and a broadcast which regularly cut out.

This time could not be more different. Only the third women’s international at the new Wembley, it is the first time England will have staged a competitive fixture there since it opened in 2007.

Unlike February’s encounter, fans will be back, and around 30,000 tickets have already been distributed with more set to purchase on the day.

It seems underwhelming when compared to the 77,768 who were there when England faced Germany in 2019 or the 45,619 when they did so in 2014, but the occasion itself is a positive nevertheless.

“It’s obviously something we thought would happen more frequently following on from the Germany game, so for it to finally come back around and for it to be the first competitive fixture I think is a milestone for us,” said Leah Williamson when asked about returning to Wembley.

“Hopefully, as we always say, the performance will match the occasion.

“I hope [we will see more games at Wembley]. I think it’s the right time now, I think the women’s game’s got to that level where we can bring the people in to see it. 

“It’s a good day for us as players — it helps us grow — and for the country as a whole. I don’t know why we wouldn’t want to celebrate high-performance sport on the biggest stage.”

The game, too, will be a milestone for Williamson as it marks yet another camp where she will be handed the armband in the absence of long-term captain Steph Houghton.

“I don’t think anybody would ever get used to this. It’s obviously a huge honour so while it falls in my lap I hope I can do well in the job,” she added.

“I think it’s probably the most sought-after job in football but it’s not really something that I’ve ever chased, it’s not really something that’s on the agenda.

“It’s a matter of circumstance, I suppose, and I’m not looking past tomorrow which I will enjoy as much as I can.”

England’s World Cup qualifying campaign has been comfortable so far and that does not look like changing any time soon; with eighteen goals having already been scored in their first two games, that figure looks only set to rise in the coming matches.

Despite having qualified for the upcoming European Championships, Northern Ireland will likely be far from a stern test for the hosts. The scoreline earlier this year was 6-0 and a repeat of that seems to be on the cards.

“We shouldn't underestimate anyone we play against,” head coach Sarina Wiegman said of Northern Ireland. 

“We can predict what we can expect and we expect to have the ball possession a lot, but they have some qualities to them, they are growing. They have done well in the first two qualification games so we are really looking forward to it.”

Away from the pitch, the taking of the knee has been a feature of football fixtures for more than a year now, but there is another show of solidarity which fans should also look out for at the beginning of the match.

North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley was sacked after players in America’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) alleged sexual misconduct, and the sport as a whole has undergone its own MeToo moment in the past few weeks.

In response to women’s football’s abuse scandal, a number of teams opted to link arms prior to the last round of fixtures in England, and it looks as if something will happen ahead of kick-off on Saturday.

"We will come together in solidarity and support," said Northern Ireland defender Demi Vance when asked if a gesture will take place. 

"It's a huge stage, and, as an individual and a team, we stand by anyone who has had the courage to come out and stand up against abuse that has been suffered in the past and the present."

England captain Williamson echoed those sentiments and said that the players will speak to the officials to see what can be done before the game, telling the media that her team “want to show our solidarity if we can.”