The journey from Congleton to the England senior squad is never straightforward. Keira Barry has just taken the biggest stride of her career along that road.
England Football confirmed in San Jose on Tuesday that the Bay FC forward has earned her first senior call-up, joining the Lionesses for a pair of 2027 World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Iceland this month. It is her maiden selection at senior level and her first international involvement of 2026.
Only weeks ago, Barry’s April looked set to revolve around the England U-23s. She had been named in that squad alongside Bay FC teammate Anouk Denton, a continuation of a youth international career that has seen her progress steadily through the Young Lionesses ranks. Her last outing for the U-23s came in December 2025.
Then her club form changed the picture.
Thrown into NWSL action for expansion side Bay FC, Barry wasted no time. She made her club and league debut as a substitute on March 14 against Denver Summit FC, then marked her first NWSL start with her first NWSL goal on March 28. One start, one goal, and a clear message sent across the Atlantic.
The Manchester United product now steps into a 24-player squad selected by Head Coach Sarah Wiegman, drafted in for two high-stakes qualifiers that carry both competitive and historic weight. England host Spain at Wembley Stadium, connected by EE, on Tuesday, April 14, before flying to Reykjavik to face Iceland on Saturday, April 18.
That second fixture will be the Lionesses’ 500th game. A landmark occasion, and a stage on which Barry could make her senior bow.
For Wiegman, it is another chance to refresh and refine a group that continues to evolve after its recent tournament cycles. For Barry, it is validation: years in the youth system, a move abroad, an explosive start in the NWSL, all converging in one phone call.
Her rise is also a sharp early statement from Bay FC. The California club, new to the NWSL but already exporting talent to the international stage, will see a cluster of players disappear on duty during the April window.
Barry is one of several Bay FC names packing their bags for national-team camps across five federations. Defender Sydney Collins links up with Canada. Aldana Cometti joins Argentina. Denton heads to England’s U-23s. In the United States setup, Claire Hutton reports to the senior squad, while Onyeka Gamero and Alex Pfeiffer join the U.S. U-20s, and Taylor Huff and Jordan Silkowitz are called into the U.S. U-23s. Veteran forward Cristiana Girelli, another marquee figure in the Bay FC attack, returns to Italy.
For a club still writing the first chapter of its story, that is a powerful roll call.
Barry, though, stands at a different threshold. Youth tournaments and age-group friendlies are one thing. Walking out at Wembley in a World Cup qualifier, or stepping into a historic 500th match in Reykjavik, is quite another.
From Congleton to California, from Manchester United’s system to the NWSL, she has pushed her way into England’s most competitive room. The next question is simple and unforgiving, the kind every forward wants to hear:
Can she turn this opportunity into something permanent?
