Le Tissier gets that winning feeling on home England debut

Maya Le Tissier has tasted her first victory as one of the Lionesses.

Left to right, England's Ebony Salmon, Maya Le Tissier, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo applaud the fans after the Arnold Clark Cup match at the Coventry Building Society Arena. (Picture from PA)

The Guernsey defender made her home debut for the senior England team in Coventry on Sunday, playing the full 90 minutes at right-back in the 2-1 victory over Italy as the holders made it two wins from two in the Arnold Clark Cup.

‘Loved playing in front of the home crowd today! Great atmosphere to top off the win,’ tweeted Le Tissier, whose first cap had come in the 1-1 draw with Norway in Spain in November.

England manager Sarina Wiegman made wholesale changes to the starting XI following the opening 4-0 success over South Korea in the four-team tournament, with Rachel Daly scoring headers in either half against the Italians, who replied through Sofia Cantore as Le Tissier’s and her teammates’ appeals for the ball having already gone out of play were rejected.

Podcast: Hear more on all the latest local football on this week's Guernsey Press Football Podcast

England will now finish the competition against Belgium in Bristol tomorrow evening, when a victory would see them retain the Arnold Clark Cup.

But Wiegman is more concerned with making the most of the minutes, as she focuses on this summer’s World Cup.

England's Maya Le Tissier, left, and Italy's Barbara Bonansea battle for the ball during the Arnold Clark Cup match at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Sunday. (Picture from PA Images, 31820117)

‘As we said before this tournament, we want to try out some combinations and we want to see lots of players,’ she added.

‘What I take from this game and the South Korea game, so many players have played minutes and they showed where they are at the moment and we have seen lots of good things.

‘So I’m happy with that – they want to give us headaches, they are giving us headaches.’