Ellen White: England striker says manager Phil Neville has squad's backing
- Published
Ellen White has 35 goals in 88 appearances for England
England v Germany international friendly |
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Venue: Wembley Date: Saturday, 9 November Kick-off: 17:30 GMT |
Coverage: Live on BBC Two from 17:15 GMT, commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and live text coverage on the BBC Sport website & app |
England striker Ellen White says the squad is behind manager Phil Neville despite the team's poor recent form.
The Lionesses' 1-0 win over Portugal in October ended a run of five games without a victory.
On Saturday, they face Germany in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley.
Asked if the squad still had faith in Neville despite the recent performances, White said: "Of course ... we know what we need to do to achieve that and what it takes."
The Lionesses have automatically qualified for the 2021 European Championships as hosts so will play a number of friendly matches in the build-up including their final game of 2019 against the Czech Republic on 12 November.
"We know we need to be peaking come 2021, so with that comes transition, different personnel, a different game plan, different structures within the team, and who we are playing," said Manchester City forward White.
"So long as we are on that right path, then we understand what we need to get there."
After knee surgery, White is back in Lionesses squad for the first time since the World Cup, where England suffered a semi-final defeat to eventual winners the United States.
White believes her game has improved under Neville - who took charge in January 2017.
The 30-year-old, who has 88 caps, points to the six goals she scored at the World Cup - which saw her finish level with Golden Boot winner Megan Rapinoe - as evidence of that development.
"He's a really lovely guy, and for us, he understands what it is like to be a professional footballer, to play for an international team, and that's great for us, the communication has been there," said White.
"He has tweaked and changed little bits of my game that I was a little bit resistant to to start with, about staying within the width of the 18-yard box because I liked to run around and get involved.
"It took a while for me to really change my game and to understand what he meant by that, but it has really helped my game, and it showed at the World Cup, being in the right place at the right time.
"He has been a great addition to England and we are proud he is our manager."