(Reuters) – Former England women’s coach Phil Neville said he was proud of the Lionesses and hailed the team that will contest Sunday’s Euro 2022 final against Germany as “very special”.
Hosts England waltzed past Sweden, the second-ranked team in the world, with a 4-0 win on Tuesday and will face the eight-times European champions at Wembley in the highest attended edition of the tournament.
Sarina Wiegman’s side, who have won 11 consecutive matches, became the first England women’s team to reach a major final since 2009.
“I don’t think I have ever seen a team approach a major tournament and basically destroy every team that comes in their path,” Neville told reporters.
“Seeing them with a smile on their faces, seeing them play with freedom, seeing those players play to their absolute maximum of their ability, I think it’s a brilliant thing.
“The English FA must take a lot of credit for the investment that they put into the women’s game but those players and that manager are very special.”
The former Manchester United player, who stepped down as England women’s team manager in January 2021 to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, added that anyone who worked with the talent of his former side would remain a lioness for life.
“They always wanted to do more than just winning, they wanted to inspire, they wanted to make sure that there was visibility, they wanted to make sure that there was always a quality, they wanted to break down so many barriers,” he said.
“That’s what inspired me as their coach and watching them, they are doing everything and more.”
(Reporting by Silvia Recchimuzzi in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
