Liverpool manager Matt Beard says he wouldn't be surprised if England are looking at Melissa Lawley following her recent performances in the Women's Super League.
The 28-year-old has 12 senior caps for the Lionesses, but hasn't been involved with the squad since 2019. The Reds drew 3-3 with Reading on Thursday night and the winger was once again a standout performer.
Lawley assisted two of Liverpool's three goals against Kelly Chambers' side and was involved in 10 of their 14 attempts on goal. Beard was pleased with the former Manchester City star's performance and believes she could be an option for the Lionesses after Beth Mead's recent injury.
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"I think Mel (Lawley) is playing her best football for a long time," he said post-match. "I know if we give her the ball in dangerous areas, she's going to cause teams problems.
"I wouldn't be surprised if England are looking at her, especially with Beth Mead's injury now. I think Mel, on her day, can win games by herself.
"If you look at her performance against Brighton and her performance tonight, I was really, really pleased. I thought she was outstanding. Going forward, she's a nightmare for any defender."
Beard made four changes to the side that drew 3-3 with Brighton over the weekend. Shanice van de Sanden, Ceri Holland, Charlotte Wardlaw and Rachel Furness all came into the starting line-up against the Royals. The Liverpool boss also made a tactical change, switching from his usual back three to a back four with extra bodies in midfield.
"Reading have switched to a diamond," he explained at full-time. "So we wanted to make sure that we could match up in the middle.
"It's a tough system to play against. So we could put the extra body in midfield because they're quite narrow with it, with the full-backs going high. So that was the thought process behind that."
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