Marley's pride at Young Lions' progress

After supervising her side's route through to the semi-final of the UEFA Women's U19 European Championship, Mo Marley praised the ability and character her young side possess.

A 4-0 victory over Iceland on Sunday allowed England to seal top spot in Group B and a last four fixture against Switzerland. Goals from Jade Moore, Isobel Christiansen and a Jordan Nobbs brace confirmed the win in Belarus and Marley can now look forward to Wednesday's semi-final encounter.

"We didn't really know what this team was capable of three months ago after merging the U17 and U19 squads, with a few new players coming in with no experience at all," Marley admitted. "But we have proved we have resilience, quality and the drive to get better.

"Three months ago we were an ordinary team but now they've moved on to bigger and better things. They've responded to every challenge they've been given. For the work they've put in they're in the position they deserve to be in. The past three months have been tough but now the just rewards are coming out on the pitch."

England's participation in the semi-final of the Euros has also assured them a place at next year's FIFA Women's U20 World Cup and Marley believes the rewards of three years hard work is finally being recognised.

"In the past we've got a little bit cavalier but now we're a bit smarter and we have more experience. We've got technically-gifted players. They can play, the movement is good, we've got pace, we've got dynamic movement, interchange, but also we have a Plan A and Plan B. They are the qualities a successful team needs to have and we've been working on them for two to three years.

"We've built that strong mentality now; we want to be the best in every game we play in. We've proved our strength, we're hard to beat and we've shown our class. We've done it in the group stages – now we have to see if we're a good cup team."