Phil Neville Says Anger Among England Women Players Is 'Fantastic' After Naming XI for Canada Clash

England women manager Phil Neville has said it's 'fantastic' to see players reacting with anger at being left out of the team to face Canada on Friday evening, saying it's a sign of how far the team has come over the past year.  

The Lionesses continue their World Cup preparations in Manchester against their North American opposition, and Neville revealed his starting 11 to the players earlier on Friday, admitting some of his decisions were met with disappointment. 

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He believes it's a sign of the healthy competition for place in the squad, however, saying it's a positive thing to see as a manager. 

“The look of anger on some of their faces, the disappointment was fantastic,” Neville said, as quoted by Our Game Mag. “Twelve months ago, I’d name a team and there were maybe five or six players who were just happy to be here.

“This morning, those looked at me and were angry, they want to be in the starting eleven and not just in the squad. I pulled those players aside and told them it was a watershed moment for them. 

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"They will get chances but I need to see Jade [Moore] play, Jodie [Taylor] needs minutes, and they know there will be opportunities. 

"I quite like the bravery as a coach to change things and rotate and we’ll continue that into the World Cup because it’s part of my philosophy as a manager - I trust them all.”

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England started their preparations in the best possible way, winning the SheBelieves cup last month, and will hope to build on that success with a win over Canada on Friday, and then again when they host Spain on Tuesday.