Eni Aluko welcome to return to England team by rest of the squad, insists former teammate Fara Williams

Eni Aluko would be welcomed back into the England fold, says the country’s most-capped international Fara Williams, after the striker’s accusations of discriminatory racial remarks towards her and her Chelsea colleague Drew Spence by Mark Sampson started a process of investigation that led eventually to last month’s sacking of the national team’s head coach.

Aluko, who with 102 caps to her name is 64 short of the Reading midfielder Williams’ record haul, has been left out of the squad since first airing her grievances about Sampson’s behaviour in May 2016.

She tweeted her anger when, in the first game following August’s leaking of her allegations, the players had a touchline goal celebration en masse – clearly in support of Sampson – as Russia were beaten 6-0 in what proved to be the coach’s last game in charge.

But the Manchester City midfielder Jill Scott, when questioned about the celebration, insisted it was “the team showing their togetherness.” And there is no question of Aluko being ostracised, says Williams.

The 33-year-old midfielder, a former colleague of the striker at Charlton Athletic, said: “Eni is more than welcome to be in this environment. I think she will know from the players’ point of view that if you give the same effort and commitment as any other England player does, then why not?

“She has got 102 England caps and you don’t get those for no reason. This is an environment that is good. If you were to spend a week with us, you would see how welcoming and challenging it is – challenging in a good way.”

Aluko’s whistleblowing stand culminated in an apology from the Football Association to herself and Spence last Wednesday as Sampson was deemed guilty of making the alleged offending remarks.

The coach had been dismissed four weeks earlier for “inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour” while in his previous job at the Women’s Super League club Bristol Academy, the alleged behaviour unrelated to Aluko’s complaints but the FA’s decision following belatedly scrutinized evidence.

open image in gallery

The governing body then decided to have the goalkeeping coach Lee Kendall sent home just hours before Friday’s 1-0 defeat by France in Valenciennes following Aluko’s naming of him, in relation to the use of a mock Caribbean accent when addressing her, at last week’s Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing.

Kendall is a popular member of the England backroom team but Williams said: “They (the FA) think it’s right to investigate him. They took him off camp, rightly so, and we move on from there.”

open image in gallery

Moving on from a period which has undoubtedly shaken the England players will see them working under a new head coach, though whether the appointee will be male or female is a moot point. The interim coach Mo Marley, who wants the role, said: “It’s important that (it’s) the right person with the right skill-set to move the team forward. I accept that might not be me.”

Williams would like to see Marley, under whom she played for Everton as well as in the England youth set-up, handed the job. “I have the utmost respect for her,” said the 33-year-old midfielder. “She would be a great coach to come in.”