Toni Duggan will captain England Women for the first time when they take on Austria on Thursday night.
The Barcelona forward has earned 64 caps and scored 22 goals since making her senior team debut against Croatia in September 2012.
The 27-year-old was the Lionesses’ second-highest scorer in World Cup qualifying with five goals in seven appearances.
Head coach Phil Neville said: “This is a great opportunity for Toni as one of the senior and most experienced players in our squad.
“I’m delighted to give her this leadership role where I’m sure she will play a crucial role in helping us get a positive result against Austria.
“I have seen leadership qualities in Toni for some time and this is the next step in her development.
“Being the England captain is a tremendous honour and I’m sure Toni will revel in the role on Thursday.”
Duggan has appeared at two European Championships and helped the Lionesses finish third at the 2015 World Cup.
The fixture in Maria Enzersdorf will be England’s third match since they completed their World Cup qualifying campaign.
They will then entertain Sweden at Rotherham United’s New York Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
