| 1d
England boss Phil Neville insists he trusts every player in his squad as they prepare for their final match before the Women’s World Cup in France.
The Lionesses will take on New Zealand in Brighton on Saturday before their first group game against Scotland on June 9 in Nice.
England won the SheBelieves Cup for the first time in March, and Neville believes the squad are ready for the World Cup.
🏆 @Lionesses celebrate a first-ever #SheBelievesCup title! Will we be seeing a similar scene in Lyon on 7 July? #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/L8K0JFPFOi
— FIFA Women's World Cup 🇫🇷 (@FIFAWWC) March 6, 2019
He said: “We’ve prepared for them for so long now that the talking is over. Let’s just get out to France.
“There’s nothing more we can do on the training ground with them. They’re prepared, they understand the system, they have a clarity of everything.”
A number of names in Neville’s 23-player squad will be playing in their first World Cup but the 42-year-old was not concerned with their lack of tournament experience.
“I have trust in every single one of my players and that means there are 23 players available for selection tomorrow and fighting for a place against Scotland, Argentina and Japan,” said the former Manchester United man.
“They know their value and know their profile in certain positions and certain games that will help us become successful.”
The Lionesses have lost once in their last 10 matches, against Canada on April 5, and have won eight as Neville stressed the importance of winning.
“Winning breeds momentum,” he said. “We place a massive emphasis on winning in training, on and off the pitch. We like to create this competitive environment.
“I think elite sport is about winning and that’s what we’ve tried to focus on. We don’t want to settle for second best.”
On the importance of this summer’s tournament, he added: “Win, lose or draw, we’re going there and we’re going to enjoy every single minute of it.
Come what may, we will play 🔥#Lionesses back on the field in Brighton. pic.twitter.com/r0OvjzdsoO — Lionesses (@Lionesses) May 29, 2019
“A large part of what we want to do this summer, yes we want to win the World Cup, but actually we just want to continue the growth of women’s football.”
Karen Carney admitted the squad were eager to get to France as the experienced winger prepares for her ninth consecutive major tournament.
The Chelsea player said: “I think everyone’s excited. We’re dying and itching to get out to France now.
“We just want to get out now and get on that training pitch in France and get on with the three group games.”
