Assistant coach Marieanne Spacey MBE is relishing the challenge of preparing England for next summer’s European Championship finals after learning the identity of their group stage opponents.
An expanded 16-team tournament, split into four groups, sees England placed in Group D alongside Scotland, Spain and Portugal.
While Portugal will be playing in an international tournament for the first time, England will be familiar with their other opponents having beaten Spain 2-1 last month while Scotland’s squad is bursting with Women’s Super League players.
Spacey, who won 91 England caps, said: “It’s great that Scotland are in the finals for the first time, with lots of familiar players to us. That’s the one everyone will be looking at.
“It’s an exciting group with three teams we are looking forward to playing against.
“It was good to have that result against Spain. But that was a friendly and this will be completely different in terms of meaning. It might be the same two teams, but I suspect that result will mean nothing.
“Portugal have a young squad with an average age of 23. They will be really excited to be playing in their first tournament and will have a real freshness about them.
“We’re looking immediately now at our preparations for next summer. It was exciting beforehand, but even more so now we know who we will be playing.
“The Spring Series means the girls will get to play regularly. Itis important players get to stay fresh and fit.”
Mark Sampson and Marieanne Spacey MBE take their team to Netherlands next summer
Mark Sampson’s Lionesses completed their qualifying campaign unbeaten, success that follows on from their third-placed finish at the 2015 World Cup.
In the squad that played Spain and France last month, Sampson was able to call upon five players that have won more than 100 international caps.
And Spacey believes a blend of experience and youthful exuberance will prove capable of managing expectations in Netherlands next summer.
Spacey added: “Expectations will be high for us. We set those expectations because of how we performed at the World Cup and the results since. But we embrace that.
“We have players that have played so much tournament football.
“But, like Portugal, we have others who will experience playing at a European Championships for the first time and they will have that freshness and desire to do well.
“All the girls get on so well, and even the experienced players have a youthful exuberance.”
Group D Fixtures
19 July 2017 v Scotland (Utrecht)
23 July 2017 v Spain (Breda)
27 July 2017 v Portugal (Tilburg)
