Women's Senior (DO NOT MIGRATE)
Women's Senior (DO NOT MIGRATE)

England midfielder Jill Scott looks ahead to final SheBelieves Cup clash with Spain

Tuesday 10 Mar 2020
Jill Scott captained England to a 2-1 victory last time they faced Spain ahead of last summer's World Cup

England's recent record against Spain is good, but midfielder Jill Scott knows victory in their final SheBelieves Cup game will be no walk in the park on Wednesday night. 

The two sides will meet in Frisco level on points, having both beaten Japan and lost to the USA in their previous games, with an outside chance of claiming the SheBelieves crown should the Americans lose their final game. 

England v Spain
  • SheBelieves Cup
  • 9.15pm, Wednesday 11 March 2020
  • Toyota Stadium, Fricso, Texas
  • Live on BBC

And although the Lionesses have had the beating of Spain the last three times they have met, including a memorable victory at UEFA EURO 2017, Scott is still wary of their possession-based tactics.

"They had a fantastic game against the USA and from past experience of playing against them over the years, we know how much they like to have possession of the ball," she said. 

"I think for us, it's going to be a case of coming up with a plan to get some of the ball and also score the goals we need to win the game - we know it will be a difficult task."

The 33-year-old is England's most-capped player in a squad packed full of youth and made her 148th appearance for the Lionesses when she came off the bench in the 1-0 win over Japan last time out. 

Scott battles with the USA's Julie Ertz during England's SheBelieves opener

The Manchester City midfielder still holds fond memories of making her England debut against Germany way back in 2006 and has gladly accepted the responsibility that comes with being a role model to the younger members of the squad.

Grace Fisk and Sandy MacIver could yet make their full debuts out in Texas while manager Phil Neville has handed back-to-back starts to Scott's club team-mate Lauren Hemp and two substitute appearances to Everton's Chloe Kelly

"I know Lauren [Hemp] a bit too well because I'm used to chasing her around everyday in training and she has this pace that means you can't get anywhere near her," she added. 

"The way the youngsters have conducted themselves on, and off the pitch too, has been very impressive and they will need that if they are to go on and spend the next ten or 15 years playing for England. 

"Chloe [Kelly] hasn't looked out of her depth either and I remember being thrown in at a very young age myself. 

"At that time in your career, you can sometimes question whether you're good enough but it's great for them to get a feel for what playing at this level is like and they fit in perfectly."

Anything other than a win over Spain will result in Neville's side relinquishing their SheBelieves Cup crown but Scott is trusting the process with the prospect of being involved in an Olympic Games and European Championships on home soil over the next 18 months a distinct possibility.

"The more games we have to try and work at this style of playing with the ball on the floor before the next big tournament the better," she said. 

"We can look at the results in isolation but ultimately we know it is all about how we're performing and if we can get that right we can be a bit more consistent."

You can watch Wednesday's game on the BBC, with kick-off at 9.15pm GMT

By Tom Dean