Lucy Bronze believes Mo Marley is the ideal person to steady the England ship until the end of the year.
Marley will take charge of the Lionesses’ next three matches after being appointed interim head coach last month.
Bronze is one of a number of current squad members to have played under Marley in her formative years, both for Everton and England U19s, with the pair winning Euro gold in Belarus in 2009.
And now the 50-year-old will take charge of the senior team for the friendly in France on Friday and World Cup qualifiers against Bosnia and Kazakhstan next month.
Bronze said: “Everyone has a good relationship with Mo, everyone knows what she’s about.
“She has had success with the U19s and she did a great job at Everton. I think everyone on the team completely respects her both as a person and as a coach.
And I think it’s only Jodie Taylor who wouldn’t have played under Mo before.
“She’s been there and done it as a player. She has captained England at the European Championships.
“She has got the know-how and the experience to do the job she needs to do and we fully trust her to do just that.”
Bronze, who scored in the 6-0 drubbing of Russia last month, was part of the England team that defeated France in the Euro 2017 quarter finals, their first win over Les Bleues in 43 years.
And with France hosting the 2019 World Cup, the 25-year-old reckons they will want to put on a show in front of what she expects to be a vociferous home crowd in Valenciennes.
She said: “In my eyes, France are one of the best teams in the world. I know we beat them in the Euros, but that was the first time in over 40 years.
“It was a mammoth achievement, and this game will be very tough.
“They are preparing to host a World Cup in their own country so they are treating every friendly like a qualifier.
“They are taking them seriously and want to have as many competitive games as they can.”
This match holds extra significance for Bronze, who recently joined Lyon from Manchester City.
The French giants have won the last 10 domestic league titles and won the Champions League back-to-back in 2016 and 2017.
Right-back Bronze is relishing rubbing shoulders with the cream of the crop on a daily basis.
She explained: “It has been a harder transition than I thought it would be. It has taken me a little bit longer to settle in with the language and their playing style.
But I’m really enjoying the experience.
“The quality in the team definitely helps. There are world-class players in every position.
“And that’s exactly the reason I joined Lyon; to play with those world-class players. It’s a very special team.
“Playing with better players is only going to make you better. They might do something on the pitch or say something that you might not have thought of. And it’s not just one player, it’s the whole team.
“Training is really tough. I’m trying to understand the coach and the players, communicate myself and then play with and come up against some of the best players in the world. That’s a lot to take in.”
Bronze added: “Wendie [Renard] has already said she wants to swap shirts with me.”
