Phil Neville is the shock No 1 target to become the new manager of the United States women's team.

The USA are the dominant nation in women's football and retained the World Cup in July after knocking Neville's England team out in the semi-finals.

Jill Ellis, the head coach who oversaw that triumph, is in the process of moving on from the role she has held since 2014 and turned down the chance to lead the USA at next summer's Olympics.

Phil Neville is the shock No 1 target to become the new manager of the USA women's team

Ellis, however, will have a significant say in appointing her successor and Sportsmail understands that she has been impressed by the work Neville has done since he became England manager in January 2018.

Neville is under contract with the Football Association until 2021 and they have been planning to renegotiate his terms on the back of the World Cup but have not yet set a date for talks.

Sources in the United States have confirmed the 42-year-old has impressed Ellis and other figures within the US Federation but there has been no contact with Neville or The FA.

Neville, who is currently in Bergen where England face Norway on Tuesday night, has made the top three in the FIFA Best awards for the women's national coach of 2019.

He was a target for a number of clubs in the summer, including Brighton, who considered him before appointing Graham Potter as Chris Hughton's successor.