Former Lioness star Eniola Aluko has said England should aim to hire Jill Ellis to replace Phil Neville as manager.

Neville will step down from the top job in the summer of 2021 and the ex US manager is one of the names rumoured to be in the mix.

Aluko told Sky Sports: "She has that pedigree and she has that experience. She's worked with some of the best footballers - elite athletes - in the world. 

"The England women's team now are at that point where they're getting to semi-finals and now need to be getting to a final and winning it, winning World Cups, winning European Championships."

Ellis was at the helm of US football when the equal pay lawsuit began and Aluko has said the Football Association will have to avoid a similar situation.

"The contract she's probably going to command is going to be very, very high and it's whether the FA are willing to invest that amount of money.

"I'm talking about commensurate to what Gareth Southgate's paid. They're coming from that equal-pay expectation, so I think the contractual issue will be a big one."

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes and Manchester United boss Casey Stoney are the other names tipped to replace Neville.