How did Euro 2022 change Steph Houghton's potential retirement plan?

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The England captain missed the Euro 2017 tournament after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament playing for Manchester City just weeks before the competition.

It was a huge blow for Houghton, who had been one of the best players in the lead up to the Euros and had been tipped to be one of England’s star performers at the tournament. Houghton has since bounced back from that injury and was an integral part of the England team that reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2019.

Euro 2022 will be held in England and Houghton is determined to lead her country out at Wembley Stadium in what could potentially be her final major tournament.

“It would be a dream come true to lift the trophy at Wembley,” Houghton told BBC Sport.

“Looking back, I was so gutted to miss Euro 2017 because I was in the form of my life. But things happen for a reason and hopefully I can make up for lost time by helping England win Euro 2022 on home soil.”

Houghton will be 33 by the time Euro 2022 comes around and she admits that the tournament could be her last chance to win a major title with England.

“I’m not getting any younger so Euro 2022 could be my last opportunity to lead England to glory,” she said. “I’m going to give it my all and hopefully we can make the nation proud.”

Euro 2022 will be her first major tournament since the 2016 Olympics, where she captained Great Britain to a fourth-place finish.

While Houghton was sidelined, she contemplated retirement from football. “I had a lot of time to think about things,” she said in an interview with The Guardian. “I thought ‘do I carry on?’ I had a chat with my husband and we decided that Euro 2022 will be my swansong.”

Houghton is currently the captain of both Manchester City and England. She has made over 100 appearances for her country, scoring 27 goals.

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