Follow live updates from England Women vs Canada on the Sky Sports app on Friday evening; Kick-off at 7.15pm
Friday 5 April 2019 11:38, UK
With England playing a host of friendlies before the World Cup in June, we assess how they're shaping up heading into the tournament...
Following England's triumphant success at the SheBelieves Cup last month, England are now ranked third in the world. But can they now go on and lift the World Cup for the first time in their history after finishing third in Canada in 2015?
Ahead of their first warm-up against Canada on Friday night, we take a closer look at their preparations...
As arrangements continue to be made for the World Cup, Phil Neville's side face Canada on Friday in the first of four home friendlies before the showpiece event starts on June 7.
England subsequently take on Spain at Swindon's Energy Check County Ground on Tuesday, then Denmark at Walsall's Banks's Stadium on May 25 and New Zealand at Brighton's Amex Stadium a week later.
So it is set to be a busy couple of months for England as Neville deciphers a starting lineup ahead of the big kick-off against Scotland in Nice on June 9.
The Lionesses won the SheBelieves tournament for the first time last month having beaten Brazil 2-1, drawn 2-2 with hosts and reigning world champions the United States, and then defeated Japan 3-0.
Momentum is with England and Neville is fully aware his side must capitalise on it.
He told Sky Sports News: "The challenge now is we have got two really tough games against Canada and Spain and they will be coming here knowing full well that we are a scalp to beat.
"So we have got to keep improving. The hardest thing in football is to win again and to keep going out there and winning.
"We are really looking forward to the games. The expectation levels are going through the roof and I get the sense that my players are really enjoying it."
How England approach the warm-up games tactically will be intriguing as Phil Neville elected to alternate between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2 formation during the SheBelieves Cup.
Fran Kirby has withdrawn from the England squad for the Canada and Spain friendlies due to a knee injury which means Neville will be forced into some tinkering.
Neville has a 60 per cent win percentage since taking over as England Women's coach in January last year after 15 matches and so far the signs are good; especially with silverware already under his belt.
Barcelona's Toni Duggan and Seattle Reign's Jodie Taylor, two of England's star players, have praised the culture Neville has created in his first venture into management.
Toni Duggan: "That is his biggest strength, from the background he has had, he just gets it. Lots of the squad are living away from home, and when we come into camp he will give us the odd day off and say 'go home and see your family'.
"Little things like go and have some fun tonight, you are off. Sometimes that is more important than the tactics - the understanding of being a player."
Jodie Taylor: "When he first took over, we didn't really know what to expect. "Obviously, being successful as a player and coming from the men's game we really didn't know what to expect."
"It has been really good having him in. He tries to build relationships with the players, understand how we are feeling and how he can help us."
England may not have won a World Cup before but there's plenty of optimism heading into this year's edition where they have been drawn in Group D with Scotland, Argentina and Japan.
Neville has spoken this week of how the players have embraced the high expectations, while Taylor spoke of how the team has grown since their semi-final exit in Canada in 2015.
Taylor said: "It's exciting times to think, looking back from that World Cup to this one, how far we've come as a team, how we've really grown. It really is super exciting. I really can't wait."
Lyon's Lucy Bronze admits all she can think about is winning the World Cup after driving past the stadium for the final every day.
"Every day, I drive past the stadium because the training ground's next door," Bronze told Sky Sports News.
"I literally look at the stadium thinking 'we're winning the World Cup here. Someone for England is scoring in this goal and we're lifting that trophy, and I'm not having nothing else'.
"That is going through my head every day."
With the England women's game enjoying proven domestic growth, too, thanks to Barclays' multi-million investment into the Women's Super League, there is plenty to be excited about heading into the summer.
