Phil Neville’s England squad for the 2019 Women’s World Cup has the perfect blend
of experienced internationals and young, exciting players going to their first major tournament.
Neville’s squads have had a familiarity to them since he picked his first squad back
in February 2018, with 15 of those 23 heading to France this summer.
In midfielder Jill Scott and forward Karen Carney, both will be going to their fourth
World Cups with England, a feat matched only in either side of the sport by Sir Bobby Charlton.
Eight players will be going to their first major tournament of any sort, with Neville
easing in the new generation of players including Arsenal’s Leah Williamson and Manchester
City duo Keira Walsh and PFA Young Player of the Year Georgia Stanway.
Three further players, Nikita Parris, Millie Bright and Rachel Daly, who were all part
of Mark Sampson’s Euro 2017 squad, are heading to their first World Cup, ensuring only 12
of Neville’s 23 players have been to a World Cup in the past.
Of those 12, Neville certainly has plenty of experience to call upon, with seven of
his players over the age of 30, three of them centurions, including captain Steph Houghton
who received her 100th cap at the end of 2018 in a friendly match against Sweden.
Two of the players over 30 are in goal, but it’s not clear yet who Neville’s number
one will be in France. Manchester City’s Karen Bardsley has held the spot down at the
last few major tournaments and sits on 75 caps, but Chelsea’s Carly Telford has been
favoured by Neville despite having not played a single minute at any of her three major
tournaments so far in her career. Mary Earps will travel as the third goalkeeper
after going to Euro 2017 as a non-squad player, the Wolfsburg goalkeeper has just five caps
to her name and will likely play the back-up role to Bardsley and Telford.
In defence, Neville’s first choice back four will likely not differ too much to his
predecessor’s, but injuries have ensured we haven’t yet seen a potential line-up
of Lucy Bronze, Houghton, Millie Bright and Demi Stokes under the former Manchester United
man’s leadership. Bronze, who has just won her second Champions
League in a row with Lyon, is often named by Neville as the best player in the world
and she certainly has an argument to be thought of as the best right-back in this summer’s
tournament. Captain Houghton and Chelsea’s Millie Bright
have consistently been England’s first choice pairing when fit while Stokes returned from
a lengthy period out with a hip injury at the end of last year and has regularly split
duties with Manchester United captain Alex Greenwood who will be fighting for the left-back
spot with Stokes. Elsewhere in defence, Neville has called on
the versatility of Williamson, Daly and Abbie McManus. Williamson is one of the younger
members of the squad but her form for title-winning Arsenal has more than justified her spot.
Daly and McManus are arguably the two most versatile members of the squad, a trait Neville
knows all about himself from his own playing career.
Daly plays in a more attacking role for Houston Dash in the USA and was one of the top scorers
in the NWSL last year, but for England has more often been used at right-back, while
McManus can cover all three defensive positions. In midfield, Neville’s options are thinner
than other parts of the field with Arsenal’s Jordan Nobbs out through injury and Lyon’s
Izzy Christiansen also absent from the squad after a spell out injured.
The experience and creative influence of Carney and the goal-threat Scott has offered under
Neville ensure valuable options while Jade Moore’s return to the squad after the injury
couldn’t be more timely. Moore was often a ‘big game’ player under
Mark Sampson while Neville has also selected Birmingham’s Lucy Staniforth and recent
FA Cup final goal scorers Walsh and Stanway from Manchester City.
Walsh, just 22, came of age in England’s recent SheBelieves Cup win while Stanway offers
a threat as either the number 10 or a second striker, with a powerful shot and long-range
goals now a trademark for the 20-year-old. In attack, Neville is likely call upon Ellen
White as his starting number nine. White’s record over the past two domestic seasons
has been near flawless and her ability to both hold up play and run in behind offer
several different options for Neville. She’ll be complemented by Fran Kirby who
has been used predominantly in a number ten role for England, becoming the key attacking
unit. When Kirby is on the ball, England look a threat, but the attack looks a little quiet
when Kirby has an off day. Should
either of those two players falter, Neville also has new Lyon signing Nikita Parris, the
top English-scoring player in the most recent FA WSL season.
Barcelona’s Toni Duggan offers another option and can play as both the left winger and the
striker, while Arsenal’s Beth Mead is one of the most in-form players in terms of both
goals and assists at the moment and worked her way into the argument for a starting spot
at the SheBelieves Cup. To cap off an almost embarrassment of riches
up top, Neville also has Euro 2017 Golden Boot winner Jodie Taylor as a back-up to White,
so there’s no reason for the Lionesses to be short of goals once the tournament gets
underway against Scotland on June 9th.