The Women's Euro 2022 Championship gets underway on 6th July and there's plenty of high-quality talent to keep an eye on.
Hosts England, priced at 9/2 to lift the trophy for the first time, kick off the competition against Austria in front of a sell-out 73,200 crowd at Old Trafford, with the final set to take place at Wembley on 31st July.
The Netherlands were champions in 2017 and can be backed at 5/1 to defend their crown, while Germany, who have won the competition a record eight times are 5/1.
Undoubtedly it will take a team effort to get through the group stage and all the way to the final. However, there are some individuals likely to play a big role for their nation.
We've picked out five women to keep a close eye on at the European Championships.
| What | Women's EURO England 2022 |
|---|---|
| Where | England (ten venues, eight host cities) |
| When | 6th July to 31st July |
| How to watch | BBC One / Two / iPlayer |
| Odds - Outright | Spain 9/2, England 9/2, France 5/1, Netherlands 5/1 |
Spain, 4/7 to win Group B, are set to feature in the Euros for the fourth time, having reached the semi-finals on debut in 1997 before making it through to the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2017.
They've been drawn in Group B alongside Germany, Finland and Denmark and will play their group matches at Stadium MK and the Brentford Community Stadium.
Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas will be key to Spain's hopes of challenging for a maiden title in the continental competition.
The 28-year-old is the most-capped player for her country, featuring 98 times, and is Barcelona's second-highest scorer of all-time.
Putellas won the Ballon d'Or Feminin in 2021, becoming the first Spanish woman to secure that accolade, after helping Barca win the Champions League, as well as a domestic treble.
The Netherlands are also making their fourth appearance at the competition but they won't be taken lightly this time around after lifting the trophy in 2017.
There are plenty of players in Mark Parsons' side that could step up to make themselves counted at the Euros but Vivianne Miedema looks like the leading candidate.
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Miedema plays her football in the Women's Super League with Arsenal and the forward boasts a formidable record in front of goal.
The 25-year-old has netted a remarkable 114 goals in 132 games since joining the Gunners from Bayern Munich in 2017.
But her goalscoring exploits don't stop at domestic level, she's also proven her quality on the international stage and is the all-time leading scorer for her nation.
She has notched 92 times in 108 appearances for the Leeuwinnen and bagged four en route to glory in the 2017 edition of the Euros.
There's little to suggest the Netherlands will struggle to get out of Group C, which also includes Sweden, Switzerland and Portugal, and Miedema will be hoping to get off the mark early.
It could be a historic summer for England as manager Sarina Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to glory in 2017, now looks to repeat that feat with the tournament hosts.
England kick off the Euros against Austria on 6th July at Old Trafford before facing Norway and debutants Northern Ireland in Group A.
Despite being just 21, Lauren Hemp could be a key figure for the Lionesses after doing the business consistently for Manchester City.
Hemp is a four-time PFA Women's Young Player of the Year winner and she was City's top-scorer with 10 goals in 2021/22, while also chipping in with six assists.
The forward has scored six goals in 19 appearances for the national side.
Germany have dominated this competition since it started in 1984 - winning eight titles.
They were untouchable between 1995 and 2013, going all the way on six successive occasions before that run was ended in 2017 by the Netherlands.
Eager to get back on top in the continental competition, Germany will be hoping Lea Schuller, who plays her domestic football with Bayern Munich, can play a major role.
The 24-year-old ended 2021/22 as the leading scorer in the Frauen-Bundesliga with 16 goals and four assists in 22 appearances, while she also notched four times in the Champions League.
Schuller's record with Germany is just as impressive - netting 25 times in 38 outings - and her exploits for the national side saw her named 2021 Germany Player of the Year.
Germany are 8/15 to get a win when they kick off their campaign in Group B against 7/2 Denmark on 8th July and the draw is available at 15/4.
After Germany, Norway are the second most successful nation to have competed in the European Championships.
They've won the tournament on two occasions but haven't gone the distance since earning a 1-0 victory over Italy in 1993.
Norway's hopes of ending their barren run have been given a major boost by the involvement of Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg.
The 26-year-old, who won the inaugural Ballon d'Or Feminin in 2018, stopped representing Norway in 2017 as a form of protest over a dispute with the Norwegian Football Federation's treatment of women's football.
Hegerberg, available at 25/1 to win the Golden Boot, ended her five-year exile from the national set-up in March of this year and returned to action with a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Kosovo a month later.
With 298 goals in 302 appearances domestically, Hegerberg's talent is undeniable, while she has scored 41 in 68 outings for the national side.
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