Phil Neville challenged his England players to go on and win the Women’s World Cup after reaching their second successive semi-final.
Neville’s side produced their best performance of the tournament so far to record a comfortable 3-0 victory over Norway in Le Havre.
Lucy Bronze delivered one of the finest performances of her international career, setting up England’s first and scoring the third in spectacular fashion.
England will now play either hosts France or holders the United States – the two tournament favourites – in Lyon on Tuesday night for a place in the final.
Neville announced his intention to win the World Cup upon his appointment and, two games from glory, he remains confident they can be crowned world champions.
“I said to them at the end in the huddle: ‘Are you ready to win a World Cup?’ I’m not ashamed to say it. We’re in it to win it,” Neville revealed.
“I said it 18 months ago in the press conference and I remember you saying it was a little bit bullish, but I think we’re in good shape.
“I said to them afterwards that I don’t think there’s been a [women’s] football team playing that type of football before. And I think this type of football will get us through to a semi-final.”
Neville knows, however, that a semi-final place was the minimum expectation from this tournament and that elimination on Friday night would have seen him come under pressure.
The former Manchester United full-back admitted that he has been appointed in order to win games like Tuesday night’s in Lyon and cautioned against chants of ‘it’s coming home’ back in England.
“Not yet, no. We’re a team that has lost in the semi finals the last two major tournaments [2015 World Cup and 2017 European Championship]. I was brought in to get us through a semi-final.”
