Meet England coaches Janneke Bijl and Arvid Smit

England women's assistant coaches Janneke Bijl and Arvid Smit are back with the Lionesses for their third camp, following their arrival on Sarina Wiegman's coaching team earlier this season.

The pair were appointed ahead of the autumn internationals in 2025, following the departure of Arjen Veurink and got straight to work during England's homecoming fixtures against Brazil, Australia, China and Ghana.

And ahead of England's new FIFA 2027 World Cup Qualifying campaign, which starts with games against Ukraine and Iceland, we caught up with the Dutch pair to hear how they've settled in.

Janneke, Arvid, welcome! What excited you most about joining the Lionesses’ coaching set up?

JB: England is a big football nation. Women’s football is growing here very fast, and England are two-times European champions. I was very keen to join Sarina, who I knew from working in the Netherlands, so it was a huge plus for me to join the Lionesses. It was also a huge challenge for me to learn a new culture and a new language – which can be difficult, but exciting.

AS: The Lionesses have won the European Championship twice in a row and were World Cup finalists, so for me to come to a big country, and the country where football started, was a no-brainer. I was also excited to work with Sarina again having worked with her before.

How would you describe your coaching style?

JB: My coaching style is player orientated, so I like to have a good bond with the players. I want to understand them and I want to get to know them. I also like structure, something I have in common with Sarina.

AS: For me, it starts with connection. In the last two camps, we’ve been building that connection with the players, and it has felt really natural. When you build that togetherness and know what drives the players, you can help them in the areas they need, whether that’s inside or outside football. I also really like tactics and I love to develop players. I’m calm, and I bring energy and humour.

What was your first impression of this group when you joined?

JB: Really good because everyone was so welcoming. When we first came in, we met the staff members first and then all the players… and that’s around 50 people! Everyone was very nice and very kind, so that was a lovely welcome for us, and made it very easy to settle in.

AS: When you arrive here, everything is, how we say, ‘breathing football’. Everything feels a little bit bigger than it does in the Netherlands. The thing that struck me was how humble everyone has been, which is nice. But yet you still feel the fire to improve, and that’s a place I like to be.

You’ve worked with Sarina before, what is it like working with her?

JB: I worked with her indirectly as a youth coach for the national team and as a scout previously, and I even played with her when I was 15…so I’ve known her for a long time, if not directly. She has always been the same and I look forward to working with her as a person and as a coach. I like the way she speaks about people, and how she ensures everyone is in the best place to perform to the best of their ability. For me as a female coach, Sarina is the perfect example of what you can achieve if you work hard and apply your knowledge of the game.

AS: I have worked with her a couple of times, including at the Olympics, and she’s so full of energy. There’s no doubt in what she wants, and all of those details together are what make her special. She also likes to bring people together and I really like that kind of environment.

What are you hoping to bring to the Lionesses’ collective?

AS: I would like to bring enthusiasm and energy together with an analytical approach. I think when you put that together with the structure the rest of the team brings, we can work really well together.

Does having played the game help give you an insight as a coach?

JB: I think so, because you can understand what the players are experiencing. That said, I played ten to 20 years ago, and the game was very different in terms of the number of people inside the stadiums, so it is a different time now. But, I have injured my ACL three times, so I know what it feels like to be injured, or how it feels to be excited about a game – and that can help you help the players.

AS: I started life as an attacker before playing in midfield and then, at the end of my career as a defender. I played at a good level in Holland and again in Portugal in big stadiums with big crowds, so I feel I have experienced things that can help the players, and that’s always important.

The World Cup qualification campaign starts now… are you excited to get going?

JB: Qualification is the target for everyone, and if we want to do that we have to win every game. Every game matters now, so that brings a lot of excitement.

AS: We know the goal and we know it will be tough, particularly with Spain in our group, but also because we know that Ukraine and Iceland will also be difficult opponents. We look forward to these matches and we take each one in isolation. Making inroads to Brazil is the main focus, and it’s exciting to know that these games matter to hopefully make that goal happen.