Facing England “a special honour” says Australia boss Joe Montemurro | OneFootball

Australia manager Joe Montemurro expressed his pride at facing England in Derby tomorrow.

The game will take place as part of the Lionesses’ homecoming tour after winning the Euros over the summer, and the Matildas boss was full of admiration for the side his team will take on.

“It’s a special honour [to play England],” the former Arsenal manager said. “I want to congratulate the Lionesses on their amazing European performance. To come up and play against one of the top teams in the world is a real honour, and to be back in familiar surroundings, it’s extra special.”

With competitive football on the horizon for the team, Montemurro – who only became head coach in June – said he viewed this game as a way to add cohesion to his team.

“We are at the point now where we start to stabilise the squad. We are really starting to prepare for the Asian Cup. It is really important we play top quality opponents, to make sure we know exactly where we are at. It is one where we are really putting the pieces together.”

Hayley Raso played her 100th game for the Matildas in their fixture against Wales on Saturday, captaining the team. “It’s always great to be part of an occasion where a player reaches that sort of milestone,” Montemurro said. “It was an honour for me and for the team. The team was right behind her. Hayley is an amazing impact player, she can change a game just on her own ability. At Frankfurt she doesn’t play many minutes, so it was great to give her the opportunity to start and see where she is at.”

Regarding the clash against England, Montemurro emphasised that this is a game more about development than winning at all costs.

“The focus of these games is us. We really focus on what we need to tidy up, and for us it was more about details. The game will be different. We will make sure we adapt our ideas to make sure we don’t stray too much away from what we are trying to achieve, but also be aware of the threats England will cause us.

“It’s an amazing group that’s really come together. Even the newer players that have joined the group, the more stable and experienced players have really welcomed the younger players. Which is fantastic. We have new staff, we have all really gelled together going in the same direction, which is the most important thing,” he said.

Australia will take on England at Pride Park at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday 27 October.