Women’s World Cup 2019: Fearless England equipped to beat absolutely anyone - starting with Scotland

The Independent’s Women’s World Cup columnist analyses the Lionesses’ chance of victory

They say in life you should never wish away the days, but the girls will all just be desperate to fast forward to Sunday. Their training has tapered down and the moment you step off the plane, even though it’s only a two-hour flight away, the buzz; excitement; nerves, the hype all wraps you into a bubble. You can’t think about eating or sleeping, just those first steps onto the pitch in Nice and that won’t end until you’re either knocked out or raising the trophy.

I honestly don’t think England‘s football have ever been better prepared for a World Cup. I’ve been there right up until the last training camp and I know the team haven’t left a stone unturned.

The defeat to New Zealand last weekend was strange because everyone expected us to win comfortably, but it might actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise; a small hiccup that can act like a positive shockwave.

The shift in the squad over the past 18 months has been huge, but we can’t forget the fantastic work of Mark Sampson and Hope Powell to create such a strong belief and work ethic in the group.

Phil Neville has implemented a new style of play that encourages creativity and fearlessness and, I think, the squad has more of a technical focus now. We play out from the back with the ball on the floor and can break down any team by passing through the thirds. We’ve shown that over the past year.

Against New Zealand the team were a little impatient because there’s that urgency ahead of the tournament to make something happen and build a streak of momentum. Of course there’s pressure but that only comes from within because the team know what they’re capable of. When it comes to the Scotland game, I’m confident the final product will be there.

The best thing about this England squad is that from 1-23 anybody is talented enough to start and you can’t underestimate the significance of that. There’s such strength in depth that not many teams have.

You always need your leaders to stand up. Everyone knows how key Steph Houghton and Lucy Bronze are on that right-hand side of defence because when they are playing well, we can shut out anyone. Likewise, Jill Scott in midfield has become a true big game player and when she’s making her runs into the box you’ve always got a better chance of scoring.

If they are firing on all cylinders from the start, I honestly don’t see any reason why we can’t get through to the final. In a tournament, you’re always going to need a bit of luck, but England know they are equipped to beat absolutely anyone.

England Women’s team depart for the Women’s World Cup in France (PA)

The USA will always be one of the toughest tests. I’ve played with a lot of the girls in the France team at Lyon so I know first-hand how formidable they are and they’ll be very tricky to stop on home soil.

But at a World Cup it’s not just about talent, it’s who can deliver on the big stage so you can’t look beyond the first game. Scotland are always a big test because of the rivalry alone. They will be absolutely desperate to beat England and that’ll add another 10 per cent to their game. It could end up being one of the toughest fixtures so it’s all about getting over that first hurdle.

After that, I know they won’t look back.