Spurs ace Neville will not give up on England call

Tottenham full-back Ashleigh Neville will forever be proud of fulfilling one lifelong goal but has not yet given up hope of achieving a dream England call-up. 

It was only four years ago that Neville quit her teaching job in Birmingham to concentrate fully on football after Spurs' promotion to the Women's Super League. 

Fast forward to today and Neville has become one of the division's most consistent performers, despite playing across numerous positions and amid a rollercoaster period for her club. 

Neville, 30, played a key role in Spurs finishing fifth in 2021-22 but still missed out on Sarina Wiegman's England squad for the Euros. 

And while the North London outfit battled relegation last season, the defender's performances remained excellent. 

Wiegman acknowledged 12 months ago that Neville was doing a "really good job" but the emergence of Chelsea's Niamh Charles alongside system tweaks and forward Rachel Daly being used as a makeshift left-back have meant she remains uncapped. 

Nevertheless, Neville is full of pride at being in her fifth season as a full-time pro and relishing life under boss Robert Vilahamn.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's game with Manchester United, she told PA: "I always wanted to play for England. 

"That was kind of my dream when I was a kid but I never thought I would play professional football when I was a young girl because it wasn't possible back then. 

"I'm obviously proud of where I have come from and where I'm at. 

"Since Robert's come in, it has probably been the most consistent I have been as a player looking back at stats and games. 

"If that call-up comes, it comes, and it would be nice to play for my country. But we have a great team so I can't really fault the girls for what they do. 

"I am just happy at Spurs and that's where my head and focus is at. But if that call comes, great."