Who Are England's World Cup 'Three Lionesses'

England Women have won a knockout match at the World Cup finals for the first time and have now reached the quarter finals. But who are the history-making women who help power the team to success?

:: Captain Steph Houghton

At the age of eight, Houghton had no idea of the fuss she caused when she kept boys out of the youth team she played for at school in South Hetton, County Durham, she told the Daily Mirror.

The 27-year-old Manchester City defender began her professional career at Sunderland Ladies in her native North East but has also played for Leeds and Arsenal. She was captain of the latter side when they won the FA Women's Cup and also won the Premier League Cup with Leeds in 2010.

Despite two injuries that nearly sabotaged her career, she has made more than 50 appearances for her national side in eight years of international football and also competed at the Olympics.

As captain of the 'Three Lionesses', she became the first female player to be featured on the cover of Shoot magazine in 2014.

She sees her role as an opportunity to make a name for her sport in the UK. She told a news conference after Monday night's win: "We said at the start of the tournament we wanted to inspire a nation, we want to inspire young girls to play football."

Her prominence led to EA Games making her one of the female players who can be identified in its latest instalment of the FIFA football game.

:: Keeper Karen Bardsley

England's American-born goalkeeper was schooled in the highly competitive US college women's soccer system before making the move to the UK.

Bardsley's family connections with Stockport made Manchester City her natural home, and she ended up there after a period in Sweden and with Lincoln Ladies.

Not without controversy - the feisty 30-year-old served a three match ban for a spat with a Birmingham City player during which punches were thrown.

:: Defender Lucy Bronze

Another product of the Sunderland WFC system that saw her captain soar to success, Bronze has been tipped as one of the most promising players in the world.

After winning a scholarship to university in North Carolina, she became the first British player to win a US college system cup before returning to England and eventually playing for Liverpool and then Manchester City.

At Anfield, she was part of the side that won the FA Women's Super League in 2013 and 2014 and, as a result, at the age of just 22, won the PFA Women's Player of the Year.

:: Midfielder Fara Williams

Williams is one of England's leading players, having won nearly 140 caps for her country since her international football debut in 2001.

Now a professional skills coach for the FA, the Liverpool player told The Guardian in 2014 that she lived homeless for several years after becoming estranged from her mother.

After breaking down during the interview, the woman from Battersea, south London, said she had never lost hope because she had football.

"I had that focus and belief I was good at something," she said. "That's an incredible thing when it feels like you've got nothing else."

Her penalty strike against Colombia was one of two goals that helped England into the last 16 in Canada.

:: Defender Casey Stoney

Stoney is one of four current England squad players who have amassed more than 100 caps each and was a key player when the team made the World Cup quarter finals in 2007 and 2011 and the Euro finals in 2009.

She has spoken widely of the challenges that women face to play at a high level, telling The Guardian in 2013 that it cost her £5 a match to play for Chelsea youth team and how she had to get a job washing the men's underwear at her first senior team Arsenal.

In 2013, she was the first woman to be asked to join the players union the PFA, where she said she wanted to focus on helping former players cope with leaving the game, having passed up A-Levels herself to focus on the sport.

But she has made almost as much impact as a hero for gay sports stars, having come out during the height of her success and challenging the idea that sexuality should be an issue.

She told The Guardian: "I can empathise with male players who don't want to [come out]. But I'd like to see a day when they're not afraid."

Last year she revealed her partner Megan Harris, who she met at Lincoln Ladies, had given up playing to have a family and that the couple were expecting twins.