Baroness Sue Campbell, the Football Association’s head of women’s football, has defended the “massive global search” that resulted in Phil Neville’s controversial appointment as the manager of England’s female team.

“We looked at 147 candidates across 30 countries; you could say any name in the women’s game and I could tell you we spent quality time talking to those people,” Campbell said.

Neville’s shortage of experience – he lacks previous involvement with women’s football and, bar one game as Salford City caretaker, has never managed a men’s first team – has provoked dismay in international coaching circles but Campbell maintains leading candidates did not want the job. She believed this was largely down to the “scrutiny” they feared they would face in the wake of the sacking of Mark Sampson, Neville’s predecessor, for “inappropriate” behaviour with a player in a previous job.

“Having seen the way Mark’s departure was dealt with by the media – whatever the rights and wrongs of that – many were very nervous of the scrutiny not just for themselves but for their families,” Campbell told BBC Sport.

“Many candidates were interested but they were not willing to put themselves into this very difficult – as they saw it – and challenging role. Moving their family halfway round the world and then being subjected to what they thought might be massive intrusion into their lives was a risk they were not willing to take. I respect that. This is not a job you can force on someone.”

Campbell is optimistic Neville – with 59 England caps while playing for Manchester United and Everton, and coaching experience at United and Valencia – will build on Sampson’s achievements in taking the team to two tournament semi‑finals while lifting them to third in the world and first in the European rankings.

“When you speak to Phil, you can hear he’s passionate,” said Campbell, who has already seen Neville forced to apologise for sexist comments he tweeted in 2011 and 2012. “He believes he can work with these players to win the World Cup, hopefully an Olympic medal, and hopefully a European Championship in 2021.”