Phil Neville Names England's Roster for SheBelieves Cup in USA
England women's manager Phil Neville has named the 23-player squad that will represent the Lionesses at the 2019 edition of the annual SheBelieves Cup in the United States.
England finished second at last year's round robin event, ahead of France and Germany, and behind only the hosts and reigning world champions USA in the final standings.
This year's tournament, which features Brazil and Japan for the first time in place of usual participants France and Germany, will act as a crucial warmup ahead of the 2019 World Cup.
The SheBelieves Cup was first played in 2016 following on from the success of the last Women's World Cup. It marked an important challenge for England, allowing the rapidly improving Lionesses to compete against the best national teams in the world.
England will kick things off this time around when they face Brazil in Chester, Pa., on February 27. That is followed by a clash with the United States in Nashville on March 2, with the Lionesses finishing against Japan on March 5 in Tampa.
The squad does not include key Arsenal midfielder Jordan Nobbs, who has sadly been sidelined with a serious knee injury and will miss the World Cup as a result. Usual selections Millie Bright and Jade Moore are also absent as they work their way back to full fitness.
"The quality and depth of the squad is so deep now, which makes selecting 23 players a difficult task," Neville told The FA.com.
"Mo Marley (under-21 manager) and I work very closely together and we're very passionate about the transition of young players into the senior team and seeing as many talented youngsters developing through the pathway as possible.
"That process doesn't stop just because we’re in a World Cup year. We're all looking forward to meeting up and everyone is ready and raring to go. These are exciting times ahead and this is a huge year for the Lionesses."
Following the conclusion of the SheBelieves Cup, England have testing World Cup preparation friendlies against Canada, Spain, Denmark and New Zealand planned for April, May and June.
The 2019 Women's World Cup will then begin in France on June 7, with England drawn into a group alongside Scotland, Argentina and Japan.
Full 23-Player England Squad for 2019 SheBelieves Cup:
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), Mary Earps (Wolfsburg), Carly Telford (Chelsea)
Defenders: Gemma Bonner (Manchester City), Lucy Bronze (Lyon), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), Alex Greenwood (Manchester United), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Abbie McManus (Manchester City), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Leah Williamson (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Karen Carney (Chelsea), Isobel Christiansen (Lyon), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jill Scott (Manchester City), Lucy Staniforth (Birmingham City), Georgia Stanway (Manchester City), Keira Walsh (Manchester City)
Forwards: Toni Duggan (Barcelona), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Nikita Parris (Manchester City), Jodie Taylor (Seattle Reign), Ellen White (Birmingham City).
