Aggie Beever-Jones: 'I was in the crowd at Wembley for the Euro 2022 final!'

A lot has changed for Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones in 12 months. From making her senior debut for England in July 2024, the forward has now been named in the 23-player squad for the Women's European Championship just a year after that maiden appearance.

Her first game for the Lionesses was a late cameo during a 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland in a qualifier for this summer’s tournament. Like all other England debutants, she earned a unique legacy number for having featured for her country.

The form of Beever-Jones has been impossible to ignore since then, as she has cemented her reputation as a vital member of Sarina Wiegman’s side.

We sat down with the forward before the conclusion of the domestic season, as she revealed she has been planning her emergence on the international stage ever since earning that first cap a year ago.

‘I was delighted to make my debut,’ she said. ‘You’re given a legacy number when you make your first appearance, and they were like, ‘Oh, you’re 231.’ That number means a lot to me now.

‘Even on my debut, I was thinking, ‘Right, I’m going to score now!’ I always want the next thing; that's who I am as a player, always striving for the next big thing.

‘Sometimes you have to take a moment to realise what you've achieved. Otherwise, you get too caught up in it. I want to keep going, keep my feet on the ground, keep making the right people happy and then we'll see...’

She didn’t have to wait long for that moment. The goal came during her fourth appearance for the Lionesses in early April, sweeping home the finish from Beth Mead’s cross during a 5-0 win over Portugal in the UEFA Nations League.

Later in that game, her club team-mate Keira Walsh also got off the mark for England as she lashed in a shot from outside the box, and the pair enjoyed a shared celebration.

‘Scoring the goal was such a special moment, especially as I did it at Ashton Gate, which meant a lot anyway, because I was on loan at Bristol (City).

‘It was even better because Keira got her first goal the same day, and I’ll never let her forget it! I made her do a little ‘A’ for me as well, which was cute, so I’ll never shut up about it. It’s such a nice thing to look back on now.’

True to her word about continuing to strive for excellence, Beever-Jones followed up her first England goal with a hat-trick against Portugal at Wembley Stadium at the end of May.

Her rise to prominence in the England ranks has been truly remarkable, and there’s a very good reason why she has settled into the national team so quickly.

‘We have so many England players at Chelsea that when I go on international duty, I still feel like there's a big part of the squad around me,' she continued. ‘Playing for England is very similar to club football, but different at the same time.

‘I just try to learn as much as I can in both environments and keep improving.’

England go into Euro 2025 as tournament holders, and while Beever-Jones was too young to be involved as a player in 2022, she was in attendance when the Lionesses lifted the trophy.

That made a huge impression on the striker at the time and has shaped her beliefs about the future of the women’s game.

‘I was actually at Wembley Stadium for the final of the last Euros with my family,’ she smiled. ‘When Chloe (Kelly) scored that winner, I had goosebumps. I couldn’t believe they’d done it in such a great way.

‘I remember going home with my England top on and thinking, 'I hope this is the day when women's football gets some more recognition'. Because it deserves it. The celebrations after England won the Euros are, for me, where the women’s game should always be.’

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