Mark Sampson: Scott 'one of the best midfielders in the world'

Mark Sampson labelled Jill Scott one of the best midfielders in the game, after the 28-year-old won her 100th England cap on Tuesday.

The Manchester City star led the Lionesses out for the final match of the Dewellbon Cup in China - a 1-0 win over Australia with Isobel Christiansen scoring the only goal of the game in the second half.

And Sampson praised Scott following her landmark appearance.

The head coach said: "It was a special day for Jill and I’m so proud and delighted for her to achieve such a milestone and join a very small number of people who have achieved 100 caps for England.

"She has consistently performed well at major championships and has been a big player for England over the last ten years.

"What we saw over the course of the World Cup, and here in China, is that Jill Scott is in the bracket of one of the best midfielders in the world.

"Consistently, she produces for club and country and every coach around the world would recognise Jill as a world-class midfielder."

England lost 2-1 to China on Friday in their first match in the Far East but they responded immediately to defeat the World Cup quarter finalists.

Sampson was impressed by the way his players responded and performed and congratulated his players for the way they bounced back. 

"It was an important result for us," he said.

"This team has defined itself by its character and resilience. There were a lot of players unavailable to us over here, so it was important that against a top-10 nation like Australia that we showed our character. I thought the team were outstanding.

HIGHLIGHTS: England Women beat Australia 1-0 thanks to a second-half winner from @MCWFC's @IzzyChr17 #Lionesses https://t.co/UntRY9OM2O

— England (@england) October 27, 2015

"We were really solid at the back and deservedly kept a clean sheet. We played some very precise football going forward and created numerous chances.

"I’m delighted with the performance of the team and the attitude of the team to do that. We put in a good performance.

"I thought from 1-11 we were solid tonight. Every player was at least a 7/10 with some stand-out performances too."

Next up for the Lionesses is an away friendly against European champions Germany followed by a Euro 2017 qualifier against Bosnia in Bristol three days later.

And Sampson believes the last week spent in China will stand his charges in good stead ahead of two big games.

He added: "It has been a very beneficial trip.

"No-one likes to lose but sometimes a defeat gives you a chance to regroup and refocus, and we saw a resilient England team tonight coming off the back of a defeat.

Scott led out the Lionesses against Australia on her 100th appearance

"But more importantly we maintained our standards and stuck together after a tough 10 days – and that’s what we wanted.

"We wanted to give the players the opportunity to experience a different culture, a different environment, some new challenges which took them out of their comfort zones.

"It’s great to end this tournament with a win."

Tickets for the Bosnia game are on sale now priced £5 for adults and £2.50 for children. A family ticket (two adults and two children) is available at £10 and group booking discounts apply.

Tickets can be purchased via TheFA.com/Tickets or by calling 01179 630 600.