Women's World Cup: Scotland better than last year - England boss Phil Neville
- Published
Scotland are in a "better place" than they were at Euro 2017 because of the influence of Shelley Kerr, says England head coach Phil Neville.
The sides were paired in Saturday's World Cup finals draw and will meet in Nice on 9 June in their opening game.
But Neville says his team will come up against a vastly different side to the one they beat 6-0 last year in Utrecht.
"Scotland are definitely better than they were. Shelley's done a fantastic job," Neville told BBC Scotland.
"I see a lot of Scotland players in the WSL in England and I know the qualities they've got and they've got better experience.
"Forget the game at the Euros, this is a totally different kettle of fish. From a Scotland point of view, the pressure's not on them, it's on us to perform, the expectation's on us."
Neville was in Paisley recently to watch the Scots take on the United States in a friendly.
Scotland were beaten 1-0 but put on a good display against the world champions, which in no way surprised the England boss.
"I was very impressed," he said. "What I saw was a team with the qualities of their manager. They've got great spirit and togetherness but they had great quality and that's the thing we mustn't forget.
"We know everything about them and they know everything about us and it's just going to be whoever handles the occasion the best."
Former Manchester United and Everton player Neville has challenged his side to win the World Cup, but acknowledges there is a bigger picture to be mindful of for both sides.
Neville says both countries are "trying to make the women's game explode" and that fixtures such as this one will help do that.
"The audience for this game could be absolutely spectacular," he said. "For the growth of UK women's sport, I think it's going to be sensational. This type of game will whet the appetite of everyone."