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England head coach Phil Neville says Lucy Bronze will last in her role that is midfield and has likened her into former Germany full-back Philipp Lahm.
The Lionesses face Norway in a friendly on Tuesday having beaten them 3-0 at the World Cup quarter-finals in July.
Neville states right-back Bronze, 27, is a”risk” worth carrying in midfield, having played there in the 3-3 draw with Belgium on Thursday.
“There’ll be times she performs right-back,” Neville told BBC Sport.
“But we’ve got a two-year period now where playing Lucy in midfield might be one of the risks we take, where we may need to suffer and that suffering and risk taking get us to where we want to get to, as a better group.
“Pep Guardiola did it with Philip Lahm [in Bayern Munich], and he was voted one of the greatest right-backs however he also put him to midfield.”
Neville explained that Bronze, that obtained the Player of the Year the exact identical night of Uefa as the Belgium game and has been named as a finalist in the Fifa Football Awards, could play against Norway.
He needs her to be consistent in the role, having played with the Lyon full-back there in the SheBelieves Cup, which England won at March.
Bronze’s move into midfield comes in time when the Izzy Christiansen of Lyon and Arsenal’s Jordan Nobbs are recovering from trauma while Manchester City midfielder Jill Scott has been rested.
“We must have a vision where we now have the best possible staff,” Neville told BBC Sport’s Jo Currie.
“People will ask why we are doing this, she’s the very ideal right-back in the world, but if you are courageous enough to take the risk and possess buy in the participant it may be prosperous.
“She fits the profile and I would not get it done if I didn’t acquire buy-in from the participant.”
Bronze has confessed she feels”uncomfortable” in midfield, however is pleased to embrace the change.
“I’m in my comfort zone at full-back, undoubtedly,” she said. “Without being told exactly what to do I just know where to proceed.
“But I love a challenge. In midfield I’m uncomfortable. It might not work – that I might be terrible in self indulgent – but it is a challenge I am looking forward to.”
Neville said that the draw with Belgium has been a”wake-up call” and he expected another physical test against Norway, who are ranked 12th in the world, seven places below England.
Reflecting about the 3-0 win over the side, he stated before the Lionesses were beaten 2-1 at the last four from the USA, it had been among the highlights of this World Cup.
“We do not want to feel just like we did against the USA, that’s three semi-finals where were have endured that sense and we are sick of this,” he explained.
“To change that momentum, we will need to do things a little bit otherwise, take people, myself, the team along with the team out of the comfort zones and we’ve done that on this excursion.”
Neville, who has been named as one of the coaches of this year, stated it was a joyful moment and has been a reward because of his group’s progress.
“I should not win the award, United States coach Jill Ellis should, she has won the World Cup,” he explained.
“But it’s reward for its manner of football we’ve played, the goals we’ve scored as well as the players’ performances.
“I prefer to win the World Cup or Olympic gold medal, but it shows we’re going in right direction and I invite my daughter for wasting money voting for me all the time.”
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