The reigning champions of the SheBelieves Cup took the initiative to be the first team to release its official roster. The announcement came just a day after Vlatko Andonovski announced his preliminary USWNT 26-player list, which will be cut down to 23 to satisfy tournament rules.
This could be a coincidence or just Neville playing mind games with Andonovski as he is still fresh in his tenure with the U.S. National Team. Japan and Spain, however, are yet to make an announcement of any kind regarding their squads for the upcoming tournament.
England SheBelieves Cup roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Sandy MacIver (Everton; 0 caps), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City; Caps 4), Carly Telford (Chelsea; 24 caps)
Defenders (9): Millie Bright (Chelsea; 34 caps), Lucy Bronze (Lyon; 81 caps), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash; 33 caps), Grace Fisk (West Ham; 0 caps), Alex Greenwood (Lyon; 44 caps), Steph Houghton (Manchester City; 117 caps), Abbie McManus (Manchester United; 17 caps), Demi Stokes (Manchester City; 57 caps), Leah Williamson (Arsenal; 14 caps)
Midfielders (5): Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal; 60 caps), Jill Scott (Manchester City; 146 caps), Lucy Staniforth (Birmingham City; 15 caps), Georgia Stanway (Manchester City; 16 caps), Keira Walsh (Manchester City; 26 caps),
Forwards (6): Toni Duggan (Atletico Madrid; 76 caps), Beth England (Chelsea; 5 caps), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City; 3 caps), Chloe Kelly (Everton; 1 cap), Nikita Parris (Lyon, 47 caps), Ellen White (Manchester City; 89 caps)
Neville injects youth to England 2020 SheBelieves Cup roster
Neville has been hanging out by the Fountain of Youth since the end of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup looking for ways to rejuvenate his squad.
The average age of the group that he has chosen to take to the United States is 25.7 while the squad that he took across the English Channel last Summer was 27.7.
We are starting to see major change is this English team that we, perhaps, did not see at the World Cup. Mind you, Neville was appointed as manager just a year and a half before the France 2019.
Now, we're starting to see strategy rather than sticking to what he's got, something that managers tend to do early in their tenure.
Now you might be asking yourself, where did that two-year average go and what changes were made for this happen?
Let's start off with the keepers. Neville decided to drop Karen Bardsley, 35, and Mary Earps, 26 in exchange for, Sandy MacIver, 21, who just made her professional move to Everton in January and has started every game since, and Ellie Roebuck, 21, the starter for Manchester City. This leaves Carly Telford, 32, as the remaining FIFA WWC keeper for the Lionesses. The three goalkeepers amount to 28 total appearances for the national team as MacIver is yet to make her debut while Roebuck has only appeared four times.
Grace Fisk, 22, is the only addition to the defense. Mind you that I said addition and not change because all the defenders that participated in the 2019 WWC are in this roster. She is one of two players who have not played a single game for the English National team, but after Beth Mead's injury, her chance has arrived.
The major changes have happened in the team come from the midfield up. Two England midfield veterans in Jade Moore, 29 and Karen Carney, 32, have been snubbed this time around. And in the forward positions, Jodie Taylor, 33, and Fran Kirby, 26, are the ones who are set to miss the competition. Kirby has been sidelined since November due to a heart condition. In return, Beth England, 25, Lauren Hemp, 19, Chloe Kelly, 22, and Jordan Nobbs, 27, get a green light to go represent their country and defend their SheBelieves Cup.
