Rachel Daly has announced her retirement from international football.

The 32-year-old Aston Villa forward won 84 senior caps for England and scored 16 goals for the national team.

Daly was part of the Lionesses’ European Championship-winning side in 2022, where she started every game in the tournament.

“I would love nothing more than to play for England forever, but the time has come for me to hang my boots up on the international stage,” she posted on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachel Daly (@racheldaly3)

“While today is an extremely difficult day for me, it is also one filled with reflection and immense gratitude. Playing for and representing England has been the greatest honour.

“During my eight years as a Lioness, I’ve always pursued success and winning football matches, while playing and training with the highest standards of competition, passion and perseverance.

“It has been the greatest honour to represent my family, my team-mates and the entire country. I have a lot of incredible memories during my time with England that have been pivotal moments.

“Winning the EUROs and then reaching the World Cup Final changed a lot for me, not only as a footballer but as a person. I’m so fortunate that I’ve been able to share that with so many remarkable people throughout my journey.

“I have made special friendships that will last a lifetime. I will be eternally grateful to have been given the opportunity to wear the England badge with immense pride over the past eight years.

“I am very fortunate to have played a small part in making history with the Lionesses and I feel now is the right time to pass on that baton to the next generation and be England’s number one fan from the stands!”

Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City surged three points clear at the top of the Women’s Super League with a 4-1 victory at Liverpool.

Shaw scored the last two goals to seal a win that means City will enter the international break on top with title rivals Chelsea taking on Arsenal in the League Cup final on Sunday.

Three goals in eight first-half minutes effectively sealed the fate of fourth-placed Liverpool, whose only consolation came through a late own-goal from City goalkeeper Khiara Keating.

Lauren Hemp struck City in front on 16 minutes and Jess Park beat two defenders before firing home the visitors’ second six minutes later.

Shaw, the WSL’s top scorer, opened her account two minutes later with a long-range strike, then took her season’s tally to 19 early in the second half when she headed home from Mary Fowler’s cross.

Liverpool kept hunting for a consolation and found it six minutes from time when Taylor Hinds clattered the post from long-range, with the rebound bouncing in off the unfortunate Keating.

Rachel Daly scored a 75th-minute equaliser as Aston Villa salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to managerless Leicester.

The Foxes, in their first game since the dismissal of Willie Kirk, fell behind to Adriana Leon’s early effort but responded with goals from Yuka Momiki and Sam Tierney either side of half-time.

Sarina Wiegman said England’s trip had yielded “many positives” after the team concluded their double-header of friendlies in southern Spain with a 5-1 win over Italy.

Four days on from the 7-2 defeat of Austria at the Estadio Nuevo Mirador in Algeciras, another thumping victory for the Lionesses at the same venue began with Lotte Wubben-Moy heading her first international goal in the opening minute.

Lauren Hemp extended the lead with a brace, the second via an excellent header, and after Michela Cambiaghi pulled a goal back for Italy in stoppage time at the end of the first half, substitutes Ella Toone and Rachel Daly completed the rout in the second half.

Boss Wiegman told ITV: “I think the whole camp, a lot of things pleased me.

“I think we had the opportunity to play many players…see what the level was, that was exactly what we wanted, see players in some positions and the connections between players, and then the competition.

“And when you have then such good wins as we had tonight and last Friday, that’s really nice too of course.”

Next up for England are the opening Euro 2025 qualifiers in April as Wiegman’s side begin the journey of defending the title they won on home soil in 2022.

When asked if the camp had given her the answers she needed ahead of the matches in April, Wiegman said: “You never know, because things in football can change so quickly, but it gave us many answers on questions we had at this moment.

“We could take this opportunity to see so many players and play two very good games, train also, see the under-23s (who joined the senior team on the trip). So just very many positives about this week.”

Those positives for Wiegman – who saw Leah Williamson withdraw from her original squad due to injury and Fran Kirby do so between the two matches – included debuts being made by 20-year-old Grace Clinton, a goalscorer in the Austria match, and Millie Turner introduced as a substitute against Italy.

On Arsenal defender Wubben-Moy, after her 12th senior appearance for the team, Wiegman said: “I think she’s definitely taken a step forward because she’s developing a lot and very good.

“That’s what we see weekly at Arsenal and that’s what she shows here too. What you can (also) see is the competition in the position is just really high.”

Wubben-Moy heading in from an Alex Greenwood delivery was an early example as England – on a night that saw them also make some notable errors at the back – demonstrated the problems they can cause from corners.

Wiegman added: “We are always working on it. We had a little more emphasis on it, we had a little more time this week.

“So it’s really good to see that it had so much effect and hopefully we can do that again in the following games.”

Aston Villa forward Rachel Daly has been handed a three-match suspension after admitting a charge of violent conduct, the Football Association has announced.

The England international appeared to catch Bristol City midfielder Amy Rodgers in the face with her arm late in the first half of Villa’s 2-2 Women’s Super League draw with the Robins at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Saturday.

A statement from the FA said: “Rachel Daly has been suspended for three matches following Aston Villa Women’s game against Bristol City Women in the Women’s Super League on Saturday February 3.

“Her behaviour during the 39th minute wasn’t seen by the match officials at the time, but it was caught on camera, and the FA alleged that it constitutes violent conduct.

“Rachel Daly subsequently admitted this charge and accepted the automatic penalty for violent conduct.”

The ban rules Daly out of Villa’s League Cup quarter-final against Brighton on Wednesday, plus WSL meetings with Tottenham and Liverpool.

The 32-year-old was the WSL Golden Boot winner with 22 goals for Villa last term, and has netted six times in the league – 14 in all competitions – for the club so far in the 2023-24 campaign.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw continues to enjoy an outstanding individual campaign for Manchester City, and, as such, will end the year atop the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) scorers list.

The towering Jamaican striker has so far tallied 21 goals in a mere 10 games played so far in the 2023/24 season, and her feat has positioned Manchester City in second on 22 points, three behind leaders Chelsea.

Shaw’s rich vein of form puts her ahead of Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly (18), Bethany England (12) of Tottenham Hotspur, and Brighton Hove and Albion’s Elisabeth Terland (12) in the race for the Golden Boot, heading into the New Year.

The colourful exploits of the 26-year-old Reggae Girl should come as no surprise, as she merely picked up where she left off last season when she broke new ground by notching 31 goals in all competitions, a record across a single campaign for City’s women’s team.

During that season, Shaw was named Women’s Player of the Season in a fan vote, while she was also shortlisted for the Barclays Women’s Super League’s equivalent award.

Shaw finished the 2022/23 season with an astonishing 31 goals in all competitions, surpassing Nikita Parris’ previous highest total of 25 for a Women’s player across a single season. She achieved that tally in just 30 matches, meaning she found the net at a rate greater than once per game. 

When you add nine assists onto that total, her overall goal involvements for that campaign stand at an incredible 40. 

Shaw scored 20 of those goals in the WSL, two in as many UEFA Women’s Champions League matches, two in two Continental Cup fixtures, and an astonishing seven in three FA Cup appearances. 

And by all indications, there will be much more records and scoring feats to come for both Shaw and Manchester City, as her impressive journey will continue at the club until at least 2026.

Rachel Daly and Sam Kerr have both been named among the favourites to win the Golden Boot for the upcoming Women's Super League season.

Aston Villa's Daly is the current holder of the trophy having led the league with 22 goals last campaign, the joint-most recorded in a single season in competition history.

Kerr, meanwhile, has finished as the division's top scorer on two occasions, one of only two players to do so, winning the Golden Boot in back-to-back seasons in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns with Chelsea.

Ahead of the new season, which gets under way next weekend, a number of Women's Super League players and coaches pointed to Daly and Kerr as the frontrunners to lead the division in scoring.

When asked who will win the Golden Boot, Daly's Villa team-mate Mayumi Pacheco told Stats Perform: "I would love to say Rach Daly, of course.

"I think she had an unbelievable season last year and I think it's going to be tough to replicate, but I know she's got it in her."

Manchester City's Jess Park described Daly as an "unbelievable player" and lauded her "brilliant finishing attributes", while Brighton's Katie Robinson labelled the former West Ham loanee as a "prolific goalscorer".

Daly's manager, Carla Ward, added: "She’s one of a kind, she’s like a kid that just wants to play football. 

"It doesn't matter where you put her on the pitch, she’s happy. She wants to score goals, she’s hungry, she wants success, she wants to be better every day."

Kerr netted 12 goals in 21 outings last season as she helped Chelsea claim a third straight Women's Super League title.

Her Blues team-mate Johanna Rytting Kaneryd is backing her to reclaim the Golden Boot, telling Stats Perform: "For me, it's so easy to play with her. She's unreal in the box.

"Even though it does matter how you cross the ball, it feels like she's always there. She has unbelievable timing and ability to score."

Mary Fowler played with Kerr for Australia as they valiantly battled to the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup on home soil, and is excited to see how her compatriot fares.

"You just can't help but admire some of the things that she does," Fowler said.

"It's just like you wouldn't think of doing that yourself. I'm just excited to see what she does this season."

Rachel Daly feels the calendar in the women’s game needs to be looked at, describing the amount of games as “excessive”.

England boss Sarina Wiegman last week said the matter was something she was “very worried” about as she named her squad for matches against Scotland at home on Friday and the Netherlands away four days later in the inaugural Women’s Nations League.

The Lionesses’ World Cup campaign concluded with the final on August 20, and there have been Champions League qualifying fixtures since then.

Daly told a press conference: “I do think the calendar is something that does need to be addressed moving forward.

“You’ve seen a significant amount of injuries in the past year or so, which you can only think may be a part of the calendar and the excessive amount of games we have during the season, especially the girls playing in the Champions League as well.

“I do think it needs to be looked at and addressed in the future. But as of right now, we’re not in a position to minimise game time we’ve got, so we just have to tackle it head on right now and put ourselves in the best position physically and mentally to play.

“We’ve got to get straight back into it, with our clubs, internationally, and we’re all just ready to go again and focus on the upcoming Nations League.”

On the process of trying to get back to normality after what was the Lionesses’ first World Cup final, and saw Wiegman’s European champions beaten 1-0 by Spain, Daly said: “Probably the fact it wasn’t in our home country deterred a little bit of the emotion.

“I’ve bumped into people in the street who say how proud they are, it’s a nice feeling. Everyone knows we’re disappointed with how it turned out but we made the nation proud once again and that’s what we want to do.

“Everyone deals with it a little bit different. But here we are back at it again!”

England open their Group A1 matches in the new competition – via which they can secure Paris 2024 Olympics qualification for Great Britain – with a trip to Sunderland’s Stadium of Light to play a Scotland outfit whose dispute with their national association was resolved last week.

The team, captained by Daly’s Aston Villa team-mate Rachel Corsie, withdrew legal action against the Scottish Football Association over equal pay and treatment claims having secured what the centre-back described as “parity”.

Asked about that – as well as the saga involving the Spain team since their World Cup triumph – Daly said: “I think trust and open, honest conversations with federations is something that is massive in terms of growing the women’s game.

“For us as players and people we are always trying to strive for better and what’s right, not just for the players involved right now, but for the next generation and future for years to come.

“To have that platform is something I think probably gets overlooked, but it’s a place that you need to get to in order to petition for more, and what’s right and what we deserve.”

England’s players themselves are involved in an ongoing bonus payments dispute with the Football Association, and Daly said: “We parked that for the World Cup.

“I think people concerned of distractions – there were absolutely no distractions for us at the World Cup, and those conversations were parked.

“We have a great team in place to take those discussions further and I think we’re in a really positive place to achieve an outcome.

“We all want the same thing, the federation and the players want to come to the same agreement. The leadership group and the players that put themselves in front of those meetings are fantastic and do a great job, so I think we’re in a great place.”

England and Aston Villa star Rachel Daly and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland have won the Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Player of the Year awards.

Daly’s Lionesses team-mate Lauren James and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka have been named as the PFA young players of the year in the awards voted for by their peers.

Daly and James were key performers for England in their run to the World Cup final earlier this month, but the accolades they received at the PFA’s 50th anniversary awards event in Salford are based on their performances last season.

Saka was voted the men’s Young Player of the Year after a terrific season for club and country, while a star of the club’s past, Ian Wright, picked up the men’s PFA Merit award.

Jill Scott, who won 161 caps for England and retired after the Lionesses won the Euros last summer, received the women’s Merit award.

Daly’s victory in the senior women’s player category came after she hit 22 goals in the Women’s Super League for Aston Villa last season – a remarkable achievement for a player who featured at left-back in the Lionesses’ successful Euros campaign last summer.

The 31-year-old from Harrogate saw off competition from five other illustrious WSL names on the nominees list – Sam Kerr, Frida Maanum, Guro Reiten, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Ona Batlle.

James, who featured in the World Cup final as a substitute after a red card in the last 16 against Nigeria meant she was suspended for the quarter-final and semi-final, was a key player for Chelsea as they won the domestic double.

Haaland enjoyed a stunning debut season for Manchester City, hitting 52 goals in all competitions as they won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble last season.

The 23-year-old was voted as the Premier League’s top player, seeing off competition from his team-mates John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne, as well as from Arsenal duo Saka and Martin Odegaard and former Tottenham striker Harry Kane, now at Bayern Munich.

Saka secured the young player prize after enjoying his finest season to date, scoring 14 goals for the Gunners and contributing 11 assists.

He was also one of England’s star performers at the World Cup in Qatar last winter.

Wright’s career in football was recognised with the Merit award. The 59-year-old, who starred as a striker for Arsenal, Crystal Palace and England, is now a popular broadcaster for the BBC and ITV.

Wright has become a vocal ally for the women’s game and also campaigns against discrimination within the sport. He became an OBE for services to football and charity in the King’s Birthday Honours in June.

Scott received the women’s merit award in recognition of a stellar career at club and international level. The 36-year-old played for Sunderland, Everton and Manchester City between 2004 and 2022. As well as her England caps, she also featured for Team GB at London 2012 and again in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.

To mark the awards reaching a half-century, the PFA also handed out individual player prizes for the Championship, League One and League Two for the first time.

Chuba Akpom was voted as the second tier’s top player, after top scoring with 28 goals for Middlesbrough. His fine form at Boro earned him a summer move to Dutch side Ajax.

Conor Chaplin, whose 26 goals spearheaded Ipswich’s promotion push from League One, won that division’s award, while Bradford’s Andy Cook was League Two’s Players’ Player of the Year.

Rachel Daly’s former school teacher has hailed the Lioness as a “one-off” player as England aim for World Cup glory on Sunday.

Sarina Wiegman’s side reached their first ever World Cup final with a 3-1 win against co-hosts Australia on Wednesday in front of 75,784 in Sydney.

Aston Villa forward Daly, the WSL’s top scorer last season, has played a key part in their campaign – often featuring at wing-back for the side and scored in England’s 6-1 victory against China in the group stages.

The 31-year-old started her career at Killinghall Nomads in Yorkshire and Michael Sweetman, who was her teacher at Rossett School, admitted her mental and physical attributes stood out from an early age.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachel Daly (@racheldaly3)

Mr Sweetman told the PA news agency: “She was a one-off, she was completely different and the attributes she had, those winning attributes, it’s just pure focus on winning the game.

“It can in some ways not be great, but on a football pitch it’s ideal, it’s perfect. She’s been a success at every team she’s played in and that’s why I think, but she had the physical attributes as well.

“She wasn’t amazingly quick or amazingly fit, but she just played the game. Her touch was amazing, she was strong and nothing fazed her.

“She could take a boot, get up and get on with it. She’s skilful, she’d play up front or in midfield for me and she scored two or three a game.”

England are aiming to achieve back-to-back success in a major tournament final after their European Championship win at Wembley last year.

Daly was part of that Lionesses squad and Mr Sweetman reflected on how far she has come in her England career.

“I definitely believed she’d play for England, whether I believed she’d get to a World Cup final I don’t think you could ever comprehend that really,” he added.

“You just want your kids to achieve the best they can be, so to get to England is great.

“I actually rang the FA when she was 14 and asked them to come down and watch her. They came down to a final at Harrogate Town and we beat a school in York 5-0 I think, she scored two and that was the start of it.”

Beginning her domestic career with Leeds, Daly moved over to America to play in college for St John’s University and was selected by the Houston Dash the 2016 NWSL draft.

She spent six seasons in Texas before moving to the Women’s Super League last year to play for Aston Villa, where she instantly made a mark in her debut season finishing with 22 goals.

Those performances earned Daly the Barclays WSL’s Player of the Season award and on Wednesday she was nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.

Mr Sweetman expressed his pride at her success, adding: “I don’t want to say I feel responsible, because I’m not, I was a small part for five years and basically I just let her play.

“The only thing I did differently was that football was just developing at the time.

“They were trying to say that there may be careers ahead and if you can keep playing, keep improving on your game maybe you could go to America or you could do this or you could do that.

“I never say I was responsible but the only thing I did let her do was let her play football with the boys in PE.

“You don’t feel responsible, but there is a sense of pride that one of your kids that you did your best to nurture during those years is playing at the highest level.”

Rachel Daly revealed her pre-match premonition about England team-mate Lauren James came true on Tuesday night after the Chelsea prodigy scored twice and picked up three assists in the 6-1 victory over China at the World Cup.

James, 21, became the first England player of either gender to be directly involved in five or more goals in a World Cup match as the Lionesses clinched top of group D to set up a last-16 meeting with Nigeria in Brisbane on Monday.

Daly was one of five Lionesses who got their names on the scoresheet at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium, where boss Sarina Wiegman switched to an inspired 3-5-2 system in the wake of an undisclosed knee injury to midfield maestro Keira Walsh.

Versatile Daly, who happily occupied an unfamiliar left wing-back role in the shake-up, said: “I will just say one thing, last night (Monday) we were walking round the pitch and we have come out of here and there’s the ‘player of the match’ sign as you walk out. I said: ‘Have a look at that kid, because that will be you tomorrow night’.

“That’s how much we back her! She is unbelievable. I have got no more words to say about her. She is growing and growing and the most important thing is we keep around her.

“She is a young player at the end of the day and she’s learning every day. She can pick up little bits from the older players, but she is LJ – and she’s brilliant.

“She has got great technical ability, but those (goals) come out in training all the time. It’s nothing new for us.

“Like I said the other day, it’s just nice for the rest of the world to see how good she is. ‘Cheat code’ as everyone is calling her. That’s what she is.”

England only scored once in each of their first two group-stage victories, first through Georgia Stanway’s penalty against Haiti before James netted six minutes into her first World Cup start, ultimately enough for three points against Denmark.

Tournament veteran Daly – who started every game of England’s European championship-winning campaign – had called for patience earlier in the week over concerns that the Lionesses were not living up to their world number four billing, particularly in attack against a Haiti side 49 places below them in FIFA’s world rankings.

Others joined her, often accompanying the call with a reminder that this was not the same squad that lifted the trophy at Wembley 367 days ago, following the retirements of Ellen White and Jill Scott and injuries to Beth Mead, Fran Kirby and Leah Williamson.

Walsh, who was also part of that triumph, remained at England base camp on Tuesday after it was determined she did not injure her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), though her status for the remainder of the tournament remains unclear.

Daly said: “I think obviously there has been a lot of criticism about us not being ruthless enough.

“I said we would grow into the games and it’s tournament football. It’s not about the first, second, third win, it’s how we grow into it.

“We knew it would come and that it would only be a matter of time before we scored goals – and there were some unbelievable goals on display (against China).

“I think (the formation change) is what tournament football is all about. We have got that in our locker now.

“We know that we can do that system and keep growing and working on that.

“We obviously can revert back to type with a 4-3-3. It’s another weapon in the armoury.”

England veteran Rachel Daly is confident the Lionesses have the depth to cope without injured midfielder Keira Walsh when their World Cup campaign resumes on Tuesday in Adelaide.

The European champions need just a point in their final group match against China to secure top spot in Group D at Hindmarsh Stadium and set up a last-16 meeting with one of Nigeria, Canada or Australia in Brisbane.

Walsh will miss out after suffering a knee injury in Friday’s 1-0 victory over Denmark, but boss Sarina Wiegman was given an encouraging update when a scan revealed the problem was not to the 26-year-old’s anterior cruciate ligament.

Daly said: “Obviously it was heartbreaking. You always fear the worst in that situations like I’m sure you guys did. As a team-mate, as a friend, it’s even harder.

“She’s obviously such a pivotal part of our team on and off the pitch, so it was tough. It’s not nice to see anyone get injured. But a sigh of relief I suppose when it wasn’t the dreaded three-letter word (ACL) and we’re all just here to support her and get her through whatever she needs.

“It’s obviously difficult losing a player of her ability and the quality that she brings, and like I said off the pitch she’s a vital part of the team as well so it’s tough.

“[We have] a 23-player squad that can all be capable of stepping up in these moments. And we know that as a team, the players believe in that. The staff believe in that. And I hope that everybody else on the outside believes that. And yes, it’s sad to see someone not be able to play, but it’s a fantastic opportunity for somebody else to step up.

“It’s a team game and we have to get on with it and ultimately to get the job done for Keira as well. I think everyone’s just in better sprits, obviously going into the game knowing that we need to get the job done.

“I think what you saw on Friday was the resilience side that we have. It was obviously so difficult losing her, but we’ve got players to step into that role. You know, no one’s going to replace somebody else. Everyone brings something different to the squad, their own unique ability.”

Walsh, who was carried off on a stretcher in the first half of the Denmark clash and later appeared on crutches, will remain at the team’s Terrigal base in New South Wales to undergo medical assessments.

Monday also marks the one-year anniversary of the historic Wembley final that saw England lift their first major trophy at Euro 2022.

Of that victorious Lionesses squad, Ellen White and Jill Scott have since retired, while Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead were ruled out of this summer’s World Cup through injury.

Losing Walsh, then, also guarantees that more than half of Wiegman’s starting XI to face China on Tuesday will be different from her unchanged line-up last summer.

So while Daly treasures that trophy and the uplift in attention paid to the Women’s Super League, she was – like many of those remaining from that triumph – eager to shift the focus to the present as England push for a first Women’s World Cup title.

The 31-year-old added: “I think the Lionesses obviously have had the target on our back a little bit, but you know, we always say pressure is the privilege and we’ve earned that, right?

“So things have changed in that sense. But yeah, I don’t think any internally, the players haven’t changed whatsoever. We’re all just the same old people that we were before. Obviously things around us change, getting recognised a little bit more, stuff like that. But yeah, I don’t think a whole lot has changed.

“And obviously, it’s not something that we particularly focus on is the Euros because a lot of the group that are with us now weren’t at the Euros, so it’s great to have that in the bag but this is a new tournament and that’s what we’re focusing on now.”

England veteran Rachel Daly revealed she blocks out the frightening possibility of becoming a victim of the devastating injury crisis besetting women’s football and the World Cup.

Midfielder Keira Walsh was stretchered off with a suspected knee injury in the first half of the Lionesses’ 1-0 group-stage victory over Denmark on Friday, later appearing on crutches and sparking concern she might join England’s Beth Mead and Leah Williamson on a long list of players ruled out of the 2023 tournament with the same anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that disproportionately affects women.

There was no update on Walsh’s condition as of Saturday night in Sydney, three days before the Lionesses play China in Adelaide with a target of escaping Group D in top spot.

Daly said: “I don’t think you can think about it, for me, those three letters scare the absolute you-know-what out of me. 

“Fingers, toes, everything crossed for Keira, but that’s football isn’t it, it’s tough, you have your highs and your lows and you just hope that everything is all right and she’ll be all right for the future. It’s a tough one but I hope she’s all right.

“I think losing anyone is tough but a player with the ability of Keira is a tough one to lose. She’s such an integral part of the way we play and it’s tough, but that’s why Sarina’s built a squad, we’ve got depth, and [Laura Coombs] came on and did really well. So it’s obviously disappointing and heart-breaking for Keira but hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”

England boss Sarina Wiegman did not make any changes to her starting XI during the Lionesses’ Euro 2022-winning campaign, but on Friday opted for two from England’s 1-0 tournament-opening win against Haiti.

Women’s Super League (WSL) Golden Boot winner Daly, who was named as a forward for this tournament, returned to left-back where she started every game of the European Championships, while Chelsea’s Lauren James got the nod on the left wing in place of Lauren Hemp.

It proved a prescient swap after Daly set up James’ first World Cup goal after six minutes against Denmark, that strike also ultimately enough to maintain England’s 100 per cent record and place them in prime position to finish top of Group D with a point against China.

Daly said: “I say it all the time but it’s an honour to put on this shirt whenever I can. I’ll play in any position. It’s not the one I’ve been playing in regularly for my club but it’s something that’s still familiar.

“I think I did all right, there’s tweaks I need to make on my game in that position but that’s OK, I learn from it, I’ll go and analyse it, I’ll fix it and move onto the next game. For me, it’s just getting onto the pitch, and doing what I can for the team.”

The 31-year-old Aston Villa striker also heaped praise on James, a decade her junior, hotly touted as the future of this England squad and backed by Blues boss Emma Hayes to be a vital force for the Lionesses in their quest for a maiden World Cup.

Daly said: “Yeah, LJ’s just a strength on her own, she’s phenomenal, and you saw what she can do, glimpses of what she can do. I can’t take any credit for anything she does, she’s just an unbelievable person and player.”

Rachel Daly admits it was difficult for her to have been benched in favour of Alessia Russo for England’s World Cup opener against Haiti on Saturday.

Georgia Stanway’s retaken penalty secured the Lionesses a nervy 1-0 victory at Brisbane Stadium to begin their quest for a maiden World Cup, but they have not scored in open play since Ella Toone netted against Brazil in April’s Finalissima at Wembley.

The Russo-or-Daly dilemma was a much-debated topic ahead of the 2023 finals, with Tottenham’s Beth England also amongst boss Sarina Wiegman’s attacking options.

Asked how she felt about her manager’s decision, Daly said: “I think anyone would be (frustrated). No one is happy to sit on the bench. If you are, then you are not in the right place, not in the right career.

“It’s a tough place for Sarina to be, to pick the team. I respect her decisions and I will support Alessia all the way and obviously I know Beth will do the same.”

Versatile Daly started at left-back for every game of the Lionesses’ Euro 2022-winning run last summer, but has always played as a striker at club level and was selected as a forward for this tournament.

The Harrogate native’s 22 goals for Aston Villa in the 2022-23 Women’s Super League season were enough to secure her the Golden Boot, while she also finished joint first for penalties converted with three.

England was the WSL’s third-best scorer with 14, while Russo was joint fifth on 10 with Manchester United team-mate Leah Galton.

Saturday’s Group D contest, against a Haiti side 49 places below the FIFA world number four-ranked Lionesses, did not do much to assuage fears about England’s attacking form.

While Daly has full confidence in Wiegman, she did not rule out the possibility of trying to convince her boss to give her a shot in one of England’s two remaining group games against Denmark or China.

Daly, who came on for Russo in the 76th minute on Saturday, said: “I think that’s the beauty of having a competitive squad. I think everybody is digging out for a position. It’s a headache Sarina has to have in multiple positions. I wouldn’t like to be in her shoes, obviously making such big decisions coming into tournaments.

“But she’s a fantastic manager, we respect all of her decisions. It proved tonight that it works, so we are happy.

“I think movement is probably one of my strengths. I just tried to come on and make a nuisance of myself for the defenders, stepping in off the back of Alessia’s big shift. She did brilliantly again, and I’m just ready when I’m called upon.”

The retirements of striker Ellen White and midfielder Jill Scott last summer combined with injuries to Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead meant there were five differences between Wiegman’s line-up on Saturday and her unchanged Euro 2022 starters, while Daly’s position switch also created an opening in the back line.

All that change, Daly speculated, could have factored into why England did not look near their dominant best in a match many expected they would win handily.

She added: “I mean you could put it down to a number of things, but I think we are quite a new side, a relatively new side. We have lost a lot of players through injury, retiring. We are still building, but I don’t think it’s a worry and a concern at the minute. Hopefully, more will come.”

Georgia Stanway’s retaken first-half penalty was enough to earn England a nervy 1-0 victory over World Cup debutants Haiti in their Group D opener at Brisbane Stadium.

This was not the decisive victory most had predicted for the European champions and world’s number-four side against a team 49 places below them in the FIFA rankings.

Haiti came close to levelling more than once, including a late second-half chance denied at the last by Mary Earps’ outstretched foot.

While the Lionesses ultimately walked away with all three points, it was an underwhelming performance that will leave boss Sarina Wiegman with plenty of questions ahead of Thursday’s meeting with Denmark.

England fans were out in full force ahead of kick-off in the Queensland capital, where ‘Football’s Coming Home’ could be heard from a riverside rally and ex-Arsenal forward Ian Wright posed in a Lotte Wubben-Moy shirt beneath Story Bridge.

For so much of the build-up of this tournament, the conversation around the Lionesses centred on their ongoing dispute with the Football Association over bonus payments and other commercial issues.

On a clear Thursday night, England wanted their football to do the talking, yet it was Haiti who enjoyed the first spell of attack, winning an early corner before Chloe Kelly, the hero in last summer’s Euro 2022 final, tested Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus with a curled effort.

One of the biggest dilemmas for Wiegman ahead of this tournament was who she would entrust as her number nine and – for this opener at least – it was Alessia Russo who led the England attack and rolled an early effort at Theus.

England fans, who by the noise inside the stadium comprised the majority of those in attendance, felt their hearts leap to their throats when Roselord Borgella broke free and was one-on-one with Earps but rolled her effort past the far post.

The Lionesses thought they had won a least a penalty when Dayana Pierre-Louis clattered into Kelly on the byline and appeared to clip her knee with a stud, but the Haitian midfielder got away with just a yellow card after it was determined – following a lengthy VAR check – that Russo had committed a foul in the build-up.

Soon after that decision, however, Batcheba Louis was punished for a handball and Stanway stepped up to the spot.

Theus sparked a jubilant Haitian celebration when she saved Stanway’s first effort, but VAR again intervened and Venezuelan referee Emikar Calderas ruled the keeper had encroached and the penalty was retaken.

Stanway did not make the same mistake twice as she fired low into the left corner for what felt like an uneasy lead at the end of a stop-start first half.

Melchie Dumornay, the 19-year-old midfielder bound for Lyon after this tournament, forced Earps into a leaping save shortly after the restart before Russo was twice denied in quick succession.

Chelsea’s Lauren James made her World Cup debut after replacing Hemp, just ahead of another nervy moment for England when Dumornay found Haiti skipper Nerilia Mondesir in plenty of space before Jess Carter recovered the ball.

James tried to get something started by delivering a cross to Russo, who came close but saw her attempt tipped over the crossbar, before Bright skied an effort and Theus picked crosses from Alex Greenwood and James out of the air.

On came Rachel Daly for Russo in the 76th minute as Haiti pushed for an equaliser, which nearly came via Roseline Eloissaint but for the outstretched foot of Earps to deny the substitute from 18 yards out.

Carter’s well-timed challenge broke up another Haiti run into the Lionesses’ final third, with Earps able to punch away the resulting corner.

The chances came for the Lionesses to double their advantage but never the finishing touch as England finished with the result, but probably not the performance, they wanted.

England’s Rachel Daly says happiness has been a key factor in her form as she prepares for this summer’s World Cup on the back of a superb 2022-23 season.

Following a move from the Houston Dash to Aston Villa last summer shortly after helping England win the Euros, Daly went on to score 30 goals in all competitions for her new club.

That included a haul of 22 in the Women’s Super League which gave her the Golden Boot as Villa achieved a fifth-placed finish, while she also netted five times for her country across the season.

The 31-year-old said: “I’ve had a pretty good year, it’s been a good year for me.

“I think I can put it down to my happiness, the way Carla (Ward, the Villa boss) has given me freedom at the club to play my own sort of game, the team around me has been brilliant and Sarina (Wiegman, the England manager) again at international level. I’d say it’s probably the best season I’ve had in my career.”

Daly joined Villa having spent a decade playing for teams in the United States, apart from a loan spell in the WSL with West Ham in 2020-21.

She added: “A lot has changed for me personally since the last tournament.

“Moving home – I’ve been away for 10 years, so I think mentally I’m in a way better place. I needed to be home and playing in this league was something I wanted to do and revisit again.

“A different position for me in terms of internationally to club level. A lot has changed for me, but I think you can all tell that I’m playing with a smile on my face and enjoying my football, so long may that continue.”

Daly, Wiegman’s starting left-back throughout the triumphant Euros campaign but recently used in attack by the Dutchwoman, was listed as a forward when England’s 23-player squad for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which gets under way on July 20, was announced last month.

Regarding positions, Daly said: “That’s Sarina’s decision, and I’ll respect whatever she chooses and I’m ready to play wherever I’m needed.”

Daly said there was a “complete healthy competition” between her and fellow England strikers Alessia Russo and Bethany England, adding: “There’s no ‘I’m the best’, we’re all great friends. The competition is we’re pushing each other and we’ll continue to push each other.”

Asked if she felt the England number nine position was up for grabs, Daly said: “I think every position is. Nothing’s set until July 22 (when England play their opening group game against Haiti in Brisbane).

“But I don’t think anyone is really focusing on that, it’s just, ‘How can we push each other to be the best?’ And whatever Sarina chooses is what she chooses and we all support it.”

Daly was speaking at St George’s Park after England trained in front of the media for the first time in their pre-World Cup camp, which got started on Monday, three weeks after the conclusion of the WSL season.

Daly said: “For me, it’s perfect and I think the girls agreed on that. We’ve had enough time to have a rest and a holiday and completely switch off mentally and physically. I feel like we’re in a great spot.”

Defender Millie Bright, skipper for the World Cup in the absence of ruled-out ACL injury victim Leah Williamson, trained separately from the group on Tuesday, working on an individual programme, as did midfielder Jordan Nobbs.

The Lionesses face Portugal in a warm-up match at Milton Keynes on July 1 before flying to Australia four days later.