Phil Neville wants Jordan Nobbs to be a mainstay in the England squad for the next decade.
The Arsenal midfielder missed this summer’s World Cup after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in a match against Everton last November.
She returned to competitive action at the beginning of last month, coming off the bench in the Gunners’ 2-1 win over West Ham.
Further appearances against Fiorentina and Manchester United prompted a Lionesses recall, for the upcoming double header against Brazil and Portugal, and she celebrated by scoring in Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Brighton.
And England boss Neville believes Nobbs can put this last year behind her by stamping her authority on the national team.
“Her attitude is phenomenal,” he said.
“From the minute she was diagnosed her focus was on getting back into that England shirt as soon as possible.
“We kept her involved in most things we were doing and she came to a couple of our camps over the summer. We were in constant contact with her.
“We spoke to her and to Arsenal about taking our time and making sure we didn’t rush anything [because] we want to make sure we’ve got Jordan Nobbs for the next 10 years, not just the next six months.”
And far from recalling the 26-year-old simply based on her return to full fitness, Neville has been impressed with Nobbs’s performances so far this season.
“I went to watch her against West Ham. She only played 25 minutes but she had more touches of the ball than anybody.
“That player that we’ve become accustomed to, that we missed in the World Cup, has got back up to speed incredibly well and that’s testament to the work and dedication she put in while she was out injured.”
