England look to Houghton to drive title bid

PARIS: The last time England met Norway at the women’s World Cup, it was captain Steph Houghton who headed in the equaliser to set them on the way to victory four years ago in Canada.

That 2-1 win in Ottawa came in the last 16, and now the sides clash again in the quarter-finals in Le Havre today with Steph and her teammates having emerged from a bruising and controversial victory against Cameroon.

It was particularly tough for centre-back Steph, with the 31year-old needing treatment on an ankle injury after being caught by a nasty challenge late on as their opponents’ frustrations spilled over.

“We are concerned about her. She is not someone who stays down,” said coach Phil Neville. “She is a big player for us, our captain.”

Steph, who has 109 caps, scored England’s opening goal to set them on their way to a 3-0 victory over Cameroon.

Her importance to the Lionesses as they chase World Cup glory in France is not lost on Neville.

The former Manchester United player has made a habit of chopping and changing his side, and only four of his squad of 23 have participated in all four matches so far at the tournament.

Steph and right-back Lucy Bronze are the only two to have played every minute, and their influence has helped the Lionesses keep three straight clean sheets.

The others to have taken part in every game are Nikita Parris and Jill Scott, the 32-year-old midfielder who is at her fourth World Cup and who surpassed Peter Shilton’s England record by making her 18th appearance at the finals in the Cameroon victory.