
At the end of a summer of England success, the women's national team now believe they have a serious shot at the country's first senior-side silverware in 51 years.

The Lionesses, veterans of a third-place finish at the Women's World Cup two summers ago, head for the European Championship this month with winning their only focus.

Unlike the men's senior side of late, there is an expectation and a belief that England will win. Manager Mark Sampson has publicly targeted racking up six consecutive victories – enough to take home the trophy – and the players speak with an assurance that they can triumph in Holland.

England right back Alex Scott strikes a pose for the cameras at the shoot for their Euro 2017 Channel 4 advert in Manchester

Members of the England squad, including captain Steph Houghton (pictured) donned their kits for the studio shoot

Striker Ellen White, who netted two goals against Denmark in England's final warm-up game, listens to her instructions

'It's a squad of winners,' Arsenal right back Alex Scott, with experience of six major tournaments, tells Sportsmail. 'I've been around a long time and that's what I've seen change — the mentality in players, the belief.

'We're not afraid to say: "I want to win, I want to be the best player in the world". Before as an England team it was like "Oh, you can't say that, what will people think of you? You'll be looked at as if you're arrogant".

'No. If you want to be a winner you put it out there and say that.

'You're going to be judged — but you're confident and you're not scared for people to look at you and think: "She's a winner, she's going to be doing everything she can to make sure she can achieve a gold medal".'

Sportsmail meets members of the European Championship squad behind the scenes of their Channel 4 advertising shoot at a huge studio in Manchester before their preparations ramp up with a final training camp in Valencia this week.

Among the smoke billowing out from machines, behind the TV-standard hair and make-up and under the bright lights that this summer's tournament broadcasters bring with them, the determination of this England team is obvious.

Captain Steph Houghton says: 'It's nice to do this sort of stuff away from the training pitch. All the girls love getting their hair and make-up done and hopefully it'll look good.

'But it's a little reminder that we've got the Euro coming and it's coming really quickly.'

Manchester City centre back Houghton, 29, speaks with a steely confidence in the ability of her team to perform on the big stage, even between shooting pre-planned scenes for the television cameras.

Channel 4 are broadcasting all of England and Scotland's matches at the Women's European Championship this summer

Goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain holds on to the ball as smoke machines engulf her at the Manchester studio location

The Lionesses captured the nation's imagination back in 2015, when a stoppage-time own goal sent them crashing out of an unexpected semi-final against Japan.

Nineteen members of that 2015 squad are part of the 23 who kick off their campaign against Scotland on July 19 in Utrecht. And this is much the same group that beat world No 1 ranked USA on home soil in the SheBelieves Cup back in March.

'We know what made us successful in the World Cup and we need to make sure we keep the togetherness from there — because a lot of the way that we play is about hard work and having each other's backs,' Houghton says.

'I think that's a really strong part of the English mentality — you can get the best out of each other by helping each other. It's something we're working on, to make sure we're all sorted before we hit the first game.'

Ellen White, the Birmingham City striker who scored twice in the final warm-up game against Denmark on Saturday, adds: 'I definitely think we're winners.

Arsenal Ladies midfielder Jordan Nobbs prepares to pass on a ball thrown to her in a series of shots for Channel 4

Scott says England now have a winning mentality and a confidence in themselves that was not present in previous years

Chamberlain poses for the still images that will feature in Channel 4's billboard campaign ahead of the tournament

'We've all got that winning mentality whether it's through what we've done so far for our country or our clubs. That's been bred throughout the last three years that Mark's been in charge.

'We got bronze in Canada and we've wanted to grow and get better and better from then, really. So we want to go one or two better. We've got that winning mentality, that drive and determination, that bit of grit and passion and hopefully we can prove that this summer.'

Now, the focus is on Scotland – and the potential five other games to follow. England have been drawn with their July 19 opponents, Spain and Portugal.

France and Germany – the only two higher-ranked European nations around – could follow as early as the quarter-final stage.

Scotland are at the same Manchester studio for their shoot later in the day. Both teams have all of their group stage matched televised on Channel 4 or sister channel More4 and any later knock-out matches will also be aired live.

Nobbs and White are part of Mark Sampson's 23-woman squad who will face Scotland, Spain and Portugal in Holland

Vittsjo defender Ifeoma Dieke was also part of the shoot as Scotland's players got themselves prepped for this summer

England's Lucy Bronze says the rivalry isn't 'friendly', despite her close links with Scottish team-mates at Manchester City, and admits she expects the Scots to 'want to knock England down a peg or two'.

For Scotland captain and goalkeeper Gemma Fay, the match-up is important both in its situation of being against the Auld Enemy and as her country's first in a major tournament.

'If there's a script, it's a good one to write,' she says. 'England have publicly said they're there to win it. Mark Sampson's come out and said that's their aspiration – we've got aspirations to take each game as it comes and make sure that we do our homework, do our best and go out and give a performance that we'll be proud of.

'I don't think there's a point going to a tournament if you fear anyone. There isn't any team that we fear.

Scotland will face England on July 19 in what will be their women's team's first major tournament appearance

Expect Scotland and England not to be phased when they open their tournament campaigns against each other this month

'It would be nice to get one over on them (England), Spain and Portugal. There's not one game that's more important than any other in that group. The most important thing for us is not to get carried away with the home nation rivalry. We need to focus on the fact that it's a football game and we prepare for it in the same way.

'There's no pressure there for us. It's exciting. We have trained so much in the build-up for this that we're not going to get there and freeze.'

In the unusual spotlight situation of a full television ad shoot, neither of these teams are phased.

You would expect similar when they come head-to-head in two weeks' time.

Watch England v Scotland in the UEFA Women's Euro exclusively live on Channel 4 on Wednesday, July 19. You can join the conversation using #Lionesses and for more information visit http://www.channel4.com/programmes/uefa-womens-euro-2017