England icon Katie Chapman has hailed Sarina Wiegman as the best in the business ahead of the Women's World Cup.

The Lionesses kick off their campaign Down Under against Haiti on July 22 and are among the favourites following last summer's Euro 2022 success.

And ex-Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Chapman, who won 94 caps for her country and played at five major tournaments, is confident with Wiegman at the wheel.

Speaking at the launch of KickX's world-first indoor hybrid football arena in Surrey, for which she is an ambassador, she told LiveScore: "I would've loved to play under Sarina.

"The squad looks so comfortable, they look happy to meet up and are getting to see a bit of Australia, which is something we never really had before.

"Sarina has got it right in terms of managing things on and off the pitch. The players are getting downtime in between the intense preparation for games, which is crucial.

"They've got the best person for the job, for sure."

No home comforts

Wiegman's players made full use of home comforts when conquering Europe — but will not have that advantage this time.

Yet Chapman, 41, believes a more low-key environment could work in England's favour in Australia and New Zealand.   

She added: "It's going to be a long time away from home. They've gone early enough to mean that adapting to the time difference is not an issue.

"I played in the World Cup in Canada in 2015 and being away from home was actually nicer because you didn't have that intense media around you.

"The time difference was so big you almost didn't know what was going on. You just read it all the next day. 

"When you want to be a part of the buzz, it's there for you. But it's also a lot easier to switch off and ignore it."

Lauren's launchpad

The absence of injured trio Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby has opened the door for new stars to emerge — and Chapman expects Lauren James to be one of them.

James, 21, has been a revelation for Women's Super League champions Chelsea and the former Blues star cannot wait to see the versatile attacker in action.

She said: "I think Chelsea have done a great job keeping her out of the physio room, managing her injuries really well, to allow her to get on the pitch more consistently.

"She's an unbelievable player. Has she got a lot to learn? Of course, but you can put her on the pitch and she'll produce magic moments."

Dream final

Reigning champions the USA are widely expected to win their fifth World Cup.

Chapman admits Vlatko Andonovski's side are the team to beat but also has her eyes on one of the co-hosts.

She said: "I'm interested in the progression of Australia, I really am. Obviously there's the Chelsea link there with Sam Kerr.

"But I think they've improved a lot. And with home advantage, they could take a few people by surprise."

There is no doubting who she wants to see in the final, though.

Chapman added: "It's got to be England and USA, hasn't it? That's what we all want!"

KickX, the world's first indoor hybrid football arena, opens at Addlestone One in Surrey on July 22. Try out exciting micro-sided hybrid football formats including Padbol, Panna, Teqball and Jorkyball as well as immersive VR technology. Private court hire is £36 per hour (£9 per person when played in a group of four). For more information visit KickXfootball.com.