Final England Women World Cup squad named through series of celebrity announcements 

Phil Neville England
Phil Neville on the sidelines during England's friendly against Spain Credit: Reuters

Phil Neville has named his England Women's World Cup squad with 11 tournament debutants making his final 23 for the summer tournament in France.

Birmingham City's Lucy Staniforth, Manchester City's Keira Walsh and Arsenal's Leah Williamson are among the younger members of the squad heading to their first World Cup. 

They will be marshalled by some experience however, with Karen Carney and Jill Scott called-up to their fourth major tournament. 

England begin their campaign against Scotland on June 9, in a group with Argentina and Japan, the team who knocked them out of the 2015 World Cup at the semi-final stage. 

Women's Super League champions Arsenal have two players in the squad - Williamson and Beth Mead - with a strong Manchester City contingent of eight. 

The squad was announced in unique fashion, with a series of individual celebrity messages on social media letting the players know they were on their way to France.

Alan Shearer, Kelly Smith, Raheem Sterling and David Beckham were among the former players to feature along with entertainment figures such as James Corden and Ellie Goulding. 

Neville said: “We wanted each player to have a special moment when their name was revealed, knowing they are going to a World Cup, as I never did as a player.

"It is the biggest thing in their lives and something they’ve dreamed about.

“We have to make these players visible, we want everybody around the world to buy in to what will be the biggest Women’s World Cup of all time.”

England will finalise their World Cup preparations with friendlies against Denmark and New Zealand. 

                                                                                                    

The squad in full....

Goalkeepers: Telford, Bardsley, Earps

Defenders: Houghton, Bronze, Stokes, Daly, Greenwood, Bright, McManus, Williamson

Midfielders: Moore, Walsh, Scott, Carney, Stanway, Staniforth

Forwards: Duggan, White, Kirby, Parris, Mead, Taylor

That's that then...we know the 23-woman squad heading to France

Nice video. The FA are getting very savvy at this kind of thing. 

Good news for Jodie Taylor

Mary Alexandra-Earps the third goalkeeper in the squad

Lucy Staniforth has copied Alan Shearer's celebration...

Beth Mead gets the call from a legendary Arsenal forward...

Abbie McManus is off to her first World Cup...

From one Man City star to another 

Wrighty gives Leah Williamson the good news

Karen Carney is back!

The squad as we stand

Goalkeepers: Telford, Bardsley

Defenders: Houghton, Bronze, Stokes, Daly, Greenwood, Bright

Midfielders: Moore, Walsh, Scott

Forwards: Duggan, White, Kirby, Parris

A reminder of England's group while we wait for more announcements

The Lionesses will be in Group D with Argentina, Japan and Scotland. Their first game of the tournament will be against Scotland. 

Speaking to BBC Breakfast today Neville said:  “It’s 32 days until we play Scotland. Scotland are fantastic and Shelley Kerr is a great coach.

"We are in a really difficult group, with three dangerous teams in Scotland, Argentina and Japan."

Jill Scott is on her way to a fourth World Cup...

Millie Bright is indeed back from injury and in the squad

Karen Bardsley will be in nets...

From one number seven to another...

Midfielder Kiera Walsh gets the nod

Fran Kirby is off to her second World Cup

Olly Murs lets Man Utd's Alex Greenwood know she is on her way to France

No surprises that Man City's Demi Stokes is in the 23 

Alex Scott passes the baton to Lucy Bronze

Ellen White gets a Late, Late call up

Goalkeeper Carly Telford is on her way to France

 

Jade Moore is on the plane

No idea who that is, but Toni Duggan is in the squad

By Royal appointment...

Who's on the plane (or is it train)?

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of England Women's World Cup squad announcement, with just a month to go before the tournament begins in France.

Manager Phil Neville will name his final 23 today, but unusually the names are being drip fed out on social media via a succession of celebrity announcements. 

Fran Kirby and Millie Bright had been injury concerns but both are expected to return to bolster Neville's options. 

England are hoping to go one stage further than their encouraging 2015 World Cup campaign, when they reached the semi-final only to be knocked out by Japan after Laura Bassett's late own goal. 

England beat Spain in their most recent friendly last month to follow up their SheBelieves Cup triumph when they vanquished Japan in the final.

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