ENGLAND WOMEN’S NATIONAL team manager Phil Neville has called links to the US national team position “flattering” but insists he is focused on his task with England.
The head coaching position at the helm of the two-time defending world champions will be open in October, as Jill Ellis has announced she will be stepping down after the team’s World Cup victory tour.
Whoever takes the place of Ellis will have some big shoes to fill, with the team’s current head coach having led her side to back-to-back World Cup titles after this summer’s triumph in France.
Neville has been recently linked to the job, as a report in the Daily Mail on Monday claimed that the former Manchester United defender is US Soccer’s top choice for the position.
But, following Tuesday’s friendly defeat at the hands of Norway, Neville insisted that there had not been an approach for his services, and that he is focused on his task with the Lionesses.
“There’s been no approach,” Neville told BBC Sport. ”My focus is on winning us a gold medal in the Olympics.
“It’s flattering because it means you’re doing a good job. My focus is England. I love this job.”
Neville insisted that he had plenty of work to do in his current position after England drew Belgium 3-3 last week before Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to Norway.
“We’ve got a big job to do, you can see over the last two games that the work is still in progress, and we’ve still got a way to go,” Neville added.
Neville took over the Lionesses in January 2018 after having no experience in the women’s game prior to his appointment.
Despite initial skepticism, Neville eventually started to produce results, winning the four-team SheBelieves Cup this spring in a field that also included the USWNT.
However, Neville could not lead his side past the U.S. in the World Cup this summer, with England falling to the eventual champions in the semi-finals by a 2-1 scoreline.
Neville has a contract with the FA through 2021.
The US, meanwhile, have begun their search for Ellis’ replacement after Kate Markgraf was hired as the first general manager of the USWNT last month.
- Omni
