Gravesend's Manchester City midfielder Laura Coombs tipped to excel on long-awaited return to the England Lionesses fold for Arnold Clark Cup

16.02.2023 - 21:39 kentonline.co.uk

Laura Coombs has been backed to translate her red-hot Manchester City form onto the international stage after securing a shock return to the England fold.

The Gravesend-born star, 32, made her last international appearance back in 2015 and would be forgiven for assuming that her Lionesses career was over.

But the City midfielder was recently unveiled as a surprise selection in Sarina Wiegman's squad, joining Maidstone-born striker Alessia Russo and the other stars of England's Women's Euros triumph for the Arnold Clark Cup, a four-team invitational tournament featuring South Korea, Italy and Belgium.

England get the event under way tonight (Thursday) against South Korea at Stadium MK, kick-off 7.45pm. Lionesses legend Fara Williams, who racked up a record 172 caps between 2001 and 2019, believes Coombs’ consistency held the key to her return and says her crucial experience can help England defend the trophy they won last year.

Football Sport Football Sport cup on Alessia Russo Arnold Clark-Cup Manchester Belgium Italy South Korea

Given that Kim Little is 32 years old, and 17 months on from international retirement, you could be forgiven for thinking her career is easing to its end. Technically, it probably is reaching its latter stages. However, a masterful controlling performance in Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat of Chelsea in the Continental Cup final demonstrated her continuing quality and how big a hole she will leave at the club when she goes. Emma Hayes said Little “ran the show” against her Chelsea side, and she wasn’t wrong. Little was the conductor of an aggressive and passionate Arsenal orchestra. “When you thought she couldn’t get better, she puts on that performance,” said her manager, Jonas Eidevall. “I told Kim straight after the game: ‘I wasn’t sure if it was possible [but] this is the best you’ve been since I’ve been the coach.’ She was phenomenal in the game, how she connects the team, the duels, the work rate, the decision-making on the ball. She played close to a perfect match.” SW

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