The 23 players who will have the honour of representing England at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France have been named.
Head Coach Phil Neville said: “This is a significant moment in our World Cup campaign and I want to congratulate all of the players in our squad. I must also thank those who just missed out for all of their efforts. We would not be in this position without them, they have played a big part in our World Cup journey and I know they will be our biggest supporters this summer.
“Picking a squad is never easy but I believe in this group and I know they will be ready to help us perform at our very best at the finals. We know what we are capable of achieving and are determined to do all we can to be successful. We keep saying it but the hard work starts now and we are going to give it everything we have to make the nation proud.”
Lionesses fans got their first look at the squad earlier in the day, as the selected players were individually revealed by a group of 23 high-profile supporters – led by FA president HRH The Duke of Cambridge announcing captain Steph Houghton – with a combined social media following of more than 170 million.
At the finals in France, which run from 7 June to 7 July 2019, eleven England players will be taking part in their maiden senior World Cup – Mary Earps, Millie Bright, Abbie McManus, Leah Williamson, Demi Stokes, Rachel Daly, Lucy Staniforth, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh, Nikita Parris and Beth Mead.
Meanwhile, Karen Carney and Jill Scott will be making their fourth World Cup appearances after representing England in China [2007] and Germany [2011]. The duo, along with ten members selected this time out, were also part of the squad to secure a bronze medal in Canada in 2015.
In France, England have been drawn against Scotland, Argentina and Japan. They begin with a mouth-watering match against the Scots in Nice [9 June] before taking on Argentina in Le Havre [14 June] and returning to Nice to face Japan [19 June].
There’s still time to cheer on the Lionesses before they depart for the tournament on 4 June. Denmark visit Walsall’s Banks’s Stadium on Saturday 25 May before Neville’s outfit complete the Road to France Series with a send-off game against New Zealand at Brighton and Hove Albion’s American Express Community Stadium.
For tickets, go to TheFA.com/LionessesTickets. You can also cheer on the Lionesses in France. Find out more via TheFA.com/JoinLSC.
Courtesy of the FA
