With 148 caps, Fara Williams is the most capped England player

With 148 caps, Fara Williams is the most capped England player

Fara Williams and Eniola Aluko are in line to make their 150th and 100th appearances respectively for England Women at next month’s SheBelieves Cup.

Both have been named in head coach Mark Sampson’s 23-player squad for the US tournament.

Williams, England’s most capped player of all-time, is currently on 148 caps while striker Aluko is on 98.





Lionesses schedule v USA, 12.45am, Friday 4 March

v Germany, 10.45pm, Sunday 6 March

v France, 10pm, Wednesday 9 March

England will play three games at the tournament with all the matches live on the BBC, across a mix of BBC One and Red Button coverage with all matches streamed online via the BBC Sport website.

England’s opener against the hosts and 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup winners USA in Tampa, Florida will be live on BBC One on Friday 4 March (12.45am GMT KO).

They then travel to Nashville, Tennessee to take on European champions Germany on Sunday 6 March (10.45pm GMT KO) and finish against France in Boca Raton, Florida on Wednesday 9 March (10pm GMT KO).

Elsewhere, Chelsea duo Karen Carney and Katie Chapman return to the squad for the first time since last year’s World Cup.

Eniola Aluko has earned 98 caps

Sampson said: “The SheBelieves Cup will be a massive challenge for us - we are competing against the top three teams in the world, so it doesn’t get much tougher.

“We have selected a group of players who we feel have the qualities we want the Lionesses to demonstrate when representing our group.

“With an intense schedule our focus will be on being a strong group, working hard and concentrating 100 per cent on one game at a time.

“I am confident with the players we have selected we can go to the US and be competitive in the tournament.”

England’s next home match will be a UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 qualifier against Belgium on Friday 8 April (7.55pm KO).

Tickets for the game, which will take place at Rotherham United’s AESSEAL New York Stadium, are on sale now priced £5 for adults and £2.50 for children.

A family ticket (two adults and two children) is available at £10 and group booking discounts apply.

Tickets can be bought via www.TheFA.com/Tickets, by calling 08444 140 754 or in person at the Rotherham United ticket office.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool), Carly Telford (Notts County).

Defenders: Laura Bassett (Notts County), Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Liverpool), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Claire Rafferty (Chelsea), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Casey Stoney (Arsenal).

Midfielders: Katie Chapman (Chelsea), Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Jill Scott (Manchester City), Fara Williams (Arsenal).

Forwards: Eniola Aluko (Chelsea), Karen Carney (Chelsea), Gemma Davison (Chelsea), Toni Duggan (Manchester City), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jodie Taylor (Portland Thorns).