Phil Neville loves Craven Cottage – but heading into England’s match against Australia, it seems Craven Cottage hasn't always loved Phil Neville.
Now the 41-year-old is hoping his Lionesses side can provide fonder memories against the buoyant Matildas, hoping to build on the win over Brazil on Saturday.
Neville’s playing career was long and distinguished, but neither adjective could describe his experiences of playing at Fulham’s home.
He has vivid recollections of being run ragged by the dynamic Fulham frontlines of the early 2000s with Manchester United, before picking up a serious injury in 2009 when Everton captain.
"It's one of my favourite grounds, for good and bad reasons," said Neville.
"It was always a great atmosphere when United fans got behind the goal and made a big noise.
"We had some really tough games down there against the Jean Tigana teams and Kevin Keegan's side as well.
"Louis Saha and Barry Hayles used to give us nightmares and it could be a torrid time.
"I went there with Everton and did my posterior cruciate there after a tackle from Dickson Etuhu.
"I love the tradition of it, though – the Cottage on one corner and the Thames on the other side. The pitch is absolutely immaculate.
“It should be a really good game between two of the top six teams in the world."
Neville's appointment as England head coach in January captured the attention of the nation, but Tuesday's clash will only be the third time they've played on home soil during his tenure.
Granted, they weren't far afield when they beat Wales 3-0 in Newport to qualify for next summer's World Cup, an emphatic pass of the first test of Neville's stewardship.
But the 59-cap international remains desperate to prove himself to the footballing public on these shores, after a draw in his opening home outing against Wales at St Mary's and the 1-0 victory over Brazil at Meadow Lane.
"The game at Southampton was an unbelievable experience," said Neville.
"I remember standing on the touchline and seeing the 25,000 there, just trying to absorb what was an amazing atmosphere early in my managerial career.
"We have never been let down by our home crowd. England fans turn up in their droves.
"It's only my third at home and two of them have been in Premier League grounds, so it'll be a special occasion and a good test for us."
A block of three friendlies, rounded off by the visit of Sweden to the New York Stadium in Rotherham next month, signify the start of the road to France 2019.
Sealing their spot at the World Cup has allowed Neville to blood an exciting group of youngsters, with Birmingham City midfielder Lucy Staniforth and Arsenal striker Beth Mead among the exciting talents called up for October’s double header.
Qualifying tests away to Bosnia and Kazakhstan were aced but didn’t provide the intensity of competition nor the calibre of opposition that will be faced next summer.
So booking in friendly tussles with some of the world’s best sides is a boon for Neville in his bid to further test the mettle of his squad.
"Two really strong tests against top-ten teams in the space of three days was the physical and mental challenge I wanted,” he said.
"It’s about raising the bar, raising the standard and ramping up our performance levels ahead of the World Cup."
The Matildas, beaten 1-0 by England in their last meeting in October 2015, come to Craven Cottage in a rich vein of form.
They emerged from last month’s highly competitive Tournament of Nations unbeaten, claiming a 3-1 victory over Brazil and holding world champions USA to a 1-1 draw.
As a prodigious cricketer – England’s under-15 captain no less – and fan of the game, Neville spent his childhood following fierce Ashes battles with Australia.
While the game might be friendly in name, the boss doesn’t expect either side to take a backward step.
“Growing up with cricket, it’s always England and Australia games that are the main event,” said Neville.
“It’s a huge rivalry between the two countries and this will be no different.
“I’ve seen a lot of Australia recently and they’re a good side with improving players.
“I watched all of their games in the Tournament of Nations and they played very well indeed.
“We’ve not played in London for a long time, so hopefully the big Australian community and the English community come down and pack the ground out.”
