She plays with socks around her ankles, stuffed into bright white boots, and for several years, those who know the secrets of England's women's football have been saying that Michelle Agyemang is different. She is the one.
Many more people are aware of that today. After another 90 minutes in which England had been leaden, predictable and, quite frankly, a crushing disappointment, Arsenal's 19-year-old forward arrived and struck an equaliser which changed everything. England were so close to defeat, with one of the seven additional minutes to play, that the Italian bench had already started their celebrations.
It was not just the No. 17's goal - a shot dispatched with real power through a forest of legs - which changed England's temperature and sent them into extra time. Agyemang, who was six and playing on the small-sided pitches of Brandon Groves FC in Essex when first spotted by Arsenal, played without fear, pressing, preying, waiting to pounce.
In the second half of the extra tim,e which her goal secured, she raced through on Italy's defence and struck the bar. A few moments later, a penalty for a stone wall foul on Beth Mead, converted on the rebound by Chloe Kelly, took England to the final.
And when the dust settles today, the question for Sarina Wiegman must be, with the greatest possible respect, 'What the hell took you so long?' As England laboured, desperate for a player just like Agyemang to go up against Italy's Lucia Linari – brilliant and a pillar of strength all night - stood undemonstrative and implacable in the technical zone, arms folded behind her back. The 70th minute ticked past, the 75th minu,te and then the 80th.
It was almost as long a wait for Kelly, legendary heroine of the 2022 final. Her arrivaat on 77 minutes, brought the most euphoric reaction heard from the large England contingent all night and new attacking intent. She seemed to demand the chance to take that penalty.
