Wednesday 06 March 2019, 09:39

Lionesses roaring en route to France

England's Lionesses made a deafeningly loud statement of intent by securing victory at the SheBelieves Cup. Their wins over Brazil and Japan, combined with their pulsating 2-2 draw with hosts USA, means they head into the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™ - alongside the Stars and Stripes - as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

The wider world has certainly begun to sit up and take notice of Phil Neville's impressive side. We round up some of the reaction from inside and outside the England camp after their 3-0 win over the Nadeshiko secured a first SheBelieves title for the Lionesses.

Phil Neville head coach of England talks to players 
Phil Neville

"I feel a bit flat to be honest with you, we want to go again in three days time. We quite like the intensity of these games. Throughout my life I’ve always moved on pretty quickly. On 87 minutes I’ve already moved on, I moved on to April camp and started planning that and that’s how it’s got to be really. This is nice, we’re happy, but for me it’s small compared to where we want to be and it’s just the first step on the ladder."

The England manager tells The Telegraph how his mind has already moved on to more preparation for France 2019.

Alex Scott

"In the friendly games we have been wasteful in front of goal but the goals we have scored in this tournament have been fantastic. We have been more clinical.

"Japan's defending could have been better but England have improved so I want to look at those positives. It's that winning feeling. There are so many positives to take from this tournament and you get to pick up silverware."

The former England defender discusses with BBC Sport about the momentum the Lionesses will take into the Women's World Cup.

Karen Carney of England (R) and Jun Endo and Hina Sugita of Japan
Karen Carney

"This was a stepping stone, we played top teams, all with different styles, in a fantastic tournament which has been run amazingly. Of course the game in the World Cup [v Japan] is going to be completely different. Japan are going to look at it and go, ‘We need to be better,’ but we need to push on another gear as well. We just need to keep working hard as individuals, go back to our clubs now and if you get picked for the next camp, come in and try and mash it again.

"The objective was to come here and win it and we’ve done it. So, for us, we take the confidence, we take the good performances. We went in at 3-0 and he [Phil Neville] still wasn’t happy. He wants us to work on things, so that’s a good place for us to end on. We’ve won it but we can still be better – we can still be fitter, we can still be sharper and we can be technically better – that’s the exciting part for us."

The midfielder, who scored against Japan in the final SheBelieves game, tells SheKicks.net about the spirit inside the England camp.

Lucy Staniforth of England (obscured) celebrates with team mates
Lucy Staniforth

"It was a hard game, they’re a good team. There was a lot of running and a lot of concentration for the whole game but to play that long, I was buzzing. [We've] obviously got Phil’s trust and hope to build on that going forward. He says it to every single member in the squad he values and whether that’s if you play five minutes or you play all three games, you feel that you’re a valuable member of the team and I think that’s so important moving forward."

Another goalscorer against Japan, the attacking midfielder tells SheKicks.net about the level of faith Phil Neville has in the squad.