Hope Powell has spoken of the importance of the Women’s Euros England hosted 17 years ago in the journey to the “completely different” current picture ahead of this summer’s home tournament.

Brighton boss Powell was in charge of the Lionesses when they were hosts at Euro 2005, opening with a 3-2 victory over Finland in front of almost 30,000 fans at the Etihad Stadium, sealed by a late goal from then-17-year-old Karen Carney.

After that campaign ended at the group stage, Powell’s England tenure – running from 1998 to 2013 – would subsequently include overseeing a runners-up finish at the 2009 Euros in Finland, and she also managed the Great Britain side at the London 2012 Olympics.

England defender Rachel Daly could make her 50th appearance for the national team tonight but has admitted it will be "hard” to do so without her dad in attendance.

Daly is a lifelong Leeds fan and began her career with the club. Her father passed away in September just before England’s 10-0 victory over Luxembourg. Daly scored in that game and showed off a wrist band with the word ‘Dad’ on it.

"It will be hard for me that he is not there but he will have the best seat in the house," said the 30-year-old. "Touch wood I make an appearance and I can get that 50th cap. My dad was a die-hard Leeds fan and he was the person who made me the biggest Leeds fan.

"If I can make him proud, then that is all that matters to me."

England’s women are playing in Leeds tonight for the first time since 1983 when they defeated Scotland 2-0 in a European Championship qualifier.

Last time out Chloe Kelly marked her England comeback with her first international goal as the Lionesses beat Belgium 3-0 at Molineux in their first warm-up match ahead of next month’s home Euros.

Having come on at the break for her first international appearance since returning to action from an ACL injury in April, winger Kelly put Sarina Wiegman’s side ahead with a deflected shot in the 62nd minute.

Fellow substitute Rachel Daly added a strike four minutes later to double the lead, and the third then came with seven minutes of normal time remaining when skipper Leah Williamson hit the bar and the ball went in off goalkeeper Nicky Evrard.

It proved a comfortable victory in the end after a first half that had seen the hosts fail to make a breakthrough despite creating a flurry of chances, which included Williamson being denied by a goal-line clearance.

Welcome to The Independent’s covergae of England vs the Netherlands.

England’s women continue their preparations for Euro 2022 with a warm-up match against the Netherlands at Elland Road tonight. Head coach Sarina Wiegman takes charge of the Lionesses against her old team who are one of the favourites to win the tournament in July after reaching the final of the last two editions and winning Euro 2017 when Wiegman was in charge.

England defeated Belgium 3-0 last Thursday in the first of three warm-up matches leading up to the Euros but will face a sterner test this evening and the result will go some way of showing how likely the Lionesses chances are of lifting the trophy.

Kick off is at 8pm and we’ll be bringing all the updates, team news and more from Elland Road.