Meet the Lionesses: England set to roar at Women's World Cup

Following an impressive third place finish in Canada four years ago, England will be going all out to win the World Cup this time around.

Phil Neville takes a team full of confidence to France, with a good balance of youth and experience as he hopes to lead them to their first world title.

Here we take a look the players who make up the 23-woman squad:

Goalkeepers:

Karen Bardsley (Man City)

Despite being born and raised in California, family connections allowed Bardsley the opportunity to represent the Lionesses and she has been a mainstay in between the sticks since her senior debut in 2011. The 34-year-old is set to play in her third World Cup and fifth international tournament in total.

Mary Earps (Wolfsburg)

The Former Bristol and Reading keeper will be looking to make an impression and improve on her five caps since making her debut two years ago.

Carly Telford (Chelsea)

The 31-year-old stopper makes her third Lionesses World Cup squad after being selected in 2007 and 2015. Having been selected as back up on both occasions, however, Telford is yet to make an appearance at the tournament. But having started two of England’s three matches during the recent She Believes Cup success, she could well feature in France.

Defenders:

Millie Bright (Chelsea)

Originally a midfielder, central defender Bright was handed her first cap in 2016 and, a year later, was the only England player to feature in every match of the Lionesses run to the semi-final of Euro 2017 in the Netherlands.

Lucy Bronze (Lyon)

Described as ‘the best player in the world’ by manager Neville following impressive performances at this year’s She Believes Cup, Bronze was also named in the team of the tournament at the 2017 Euros alongside teammates Steph Houghton and Jodie Taylor.

Rachel Daly (Houston Dash)

Following a year long exile from international duty, Daly forced her way back into England reckoning for the World Cup qualifying campaign last year. She impressed the manager enough to be selected for a major tournament for the first time.

Alex Greenwood (Man Utd)

After captaining England at youth level, left-back Greenwood made her senior debut in 2014. She was the youngest member of that 2015 World Cup squad at just 22.

Steph Houghton (captain, Man City)

A stalwart of the side, skipper Houghton has over a hundred caps for her country. Having missed the 2007 World Cup through injury, the defender featured in 2011 before leading the side to the semi-final in 2015, scoring the crucial equaliser in the eventual 2-1 last-16 win over Norway.

Abbie McManus (Man City)

Talk about grabbing an opportunity with both hands. McManus wasn’t even in the international picture as recently as 18 months ago until receiving a call up, reportedly while doing her shopping, to replace an injured Steph Houghton for the 2018 She Believes Cup. The defender hasn’t looked back since.

Demi Stokes (Man City)

Despite being one of only eight players in the squad with 50 or more caps, Stokes will be making her first appearance at a World Cup for the Lionesses this year.

Leah Williamson (Arsenal)

Twenty-two-year-old Williamson was at the centre of one of the more bizarre incidents in the history of the game playing for England under 19s against Norway back in 2015. The defender’s stoppage-time penalty was disallowed following encroachment and a free kick awarded. However, following the game, UEFA ruled that the referee should have in fact ordered a re-take so the two teams had to resume the match five days later from the 95th minute in order for Williamson to try again. Making no mistake the second time around, the trainee accountant will be hoping for less drama in France.

Midfielders:

Karen Carney (Chelsea)

With 139 international appearances to her name, and having featured in every England tournament since 2005, midfielder Carney is the most-capped player, and top scorer on 32 goals, in the current squad.

Jade Moore (Reading)

Moore is set to play in her second World Cup with the Lionesses but the fact she is playing football at all is remarkable. At the age of 16, a routine screening discovered the midfielder had two holes in her heart. Thankfully, the early discovery and subsequent surgery has meant she has been able to have a successful career at the highest level of the game.

Jill Scott (Man City)

One of England’s all-time greats with 135 caps and counting. Having made her international debut in 2006, Scott will play in her fourth World Cup for her country this year.

Lucy Staniforth (Birmingham City)

Staniforth announced herself on the international scene last year with a goal against Kazakhstan in her first start for England. Previously described by former boss Mark Sampson as “one of the best young players in Europe”

Georgia Stanway (Man City)

Another World Cup debutant, Stanway is the youngest outfield player in the squad at just 23. She does, however, already have extensive tournament experience at youth level, including captaining the under-17s to bronze at the Euro 2016. Stanway was also joint top scorer at the under-20s World Cup last year in another third place finish.

Keira Walsh (Man City)

Walsh joins the long list of players with leadership credentials in this team, having captained the Lionesses at just 21 and in only her seventh appearance during the World Cup qualifying win over Kazakhstan last year.

Forwards:

Toni Duggan (Barcelona)

One of the symbols of the team’s growth over the last decade, Duggan famously scored in the final of the 2009 under-19 Euros as England secured the trophy. Ten years later, she has become one of the first names on the team sheet and the only player to have featured in every match under Phil Neville since his appointment.

Fran Kirby (Chelsea)

A prolific goalscorer for both club and country, Kirby thrust herself into the limelight at the 2015 World Cup following a goal against Mexico that earned her the nickname ‘Mini Messi’ from Mark Sampson. Quite the compliment.

Beth Mead (Arsenal)

Making her England debut in 2018, Mead bagged a brace on her first start in that qualifier against Kazakhstan. Two further goals in the She Believes Cup success and another in a pre-tournament win over Spain have put the Arsenal forward in prime position to stake her claim for a starting spot in France.

Nikita Parris (Man City)

England’s top scorer in qualifying with six goals. Parris’ previous tournament experience with the Lionesses saw her score the winning goal against Portugal at Euro 2017 to put England into the quarter-final.

Jodie Taylor (Seattle Reign)

The well-travelled striker was a late starter on the international stage, only making her debut in 2014 at the age of 28. After featuring in 2015 and scoring against Canada, Taylor scored five times at Euro 2017, including a hat-trick against Scotland who England face in the opening game this year.

Ellen White (Birmingham City)

With 28 goals, White is only second to Carney when it comes to international strikes. A veteran of three World Cups, White’s stunning lob against eventual winners Japan in 2011 is still considered one of the best goals in the history of the competition.