With the Lionesses flying out to the USA to participate in the SheBelieves Cup, Chelsea striker Bethany England currently only has five caps to her name, but her form so far in the Women's Super League does not reflect the lack of international opportunities that she has been given.
Her first call-up came back in August, with England participating in friendlies against Belgium and Norway. She has netted two in her games since then, and will likely play in the Lionesses' opener against the United States on Friday.
Domestic form
The 25-year-old's incredible form has left many questioning whether she is the best striker in the top-flight, competing against players such as teammate Sam Kerr and Arsenal star Vivianne Miedema, and although this is a hotly debated topic, there is no doubt that she has well and truly made her mark in Emma Hayes' Chelsea side this year.
Since the addition of Sam Kerr to Chelsea in the summer, England has formed an exquisite strike partnership with the Australian. The English forward plays slightly behind Kerr, often drifting to the wings and making use of her pace.
Chelsea have cemented themselves as the main title contenders, one point behind Manchester City with a game in hand to play against fellow Mancunians, United after their game was postponed by the weather brought by Storm Ciara in February.
As well as the distinctive front two that have come into play since January, Norwegian Guro Reiten has also played an impeccable role on the wing in creating what is the strongest attacking force in the league.
England netted twice on Sunday in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Continental Cup final and has become one of the most feared players in the division with her 14 goals in 15 appearances in the WSL, or 21 in 23 across all competitions.
Perfect fit for the lionesses
Since their run to the semi-final of the World Cup in the summer, England’s fortunes have not been in their favour. They won by single-goal margins against Portugal and the Czech Republic, whilst picking up one draw and three losses.
England struggled for a prominent goal-scoring threat in many of these games, with injuries to main players such as Ellen White and Fran Kirby hampering the team’s efforts.
The Chelsea forward scored in recent matches against the Czech Republic and Brazil and is slowly building up partnerships with the rest of her teammates. With England now settling into the squad, she could be one of the major threats for her country in the SheBelieves Cup and looks set to be in Phil Neville’s Team GB side.
With her recent form and the Lionesses' lack of success taken into account, there is surely no way in which she can be left out of the starting XI for England's opener against the United States.