A teenager from St Neots has been selected to train with the England football squad after impressing for her club side.
Lucy Wood, 14, who plays for Leicester City Girls Regional Talent Club U16s, received the news in August that she had been invited to train with the England under 15 women’s youth team.
The youngster started playing for Arsenal ladies when she was just nine-years-old, and enjoyed five seasons until she moved to Leicester earlier this year. The Longsands Academy student’s love of football started when she was just five-years-old when she use to sit on the sidelines and watch her brother, Jake, play.
Lucy said: “I’ve always been in love with football, and whenever I had any spare time would be in the garden practicing new tricks.
“When I found out that I was selected for England I was so shocked. I’m really enjoying playing for Leicester, and being given the chance to represent my country makes me feel really proud of myself.
“It’s hard to juggle school and football, especially as I have just started my GCSEs, however finding this out has made it all worth it. I have to travel to Leicester a lot and most of the time I have to do my homework and eat my dinner in the car, but it’s really nice to be doing something I love.”
Lucy, a Year 10 pupil, currently has to travel to Leicester three times a week to train, and then plays a match every Saturday.
She was also awarded the St Neots Community and Business Awards Young Person of the Year in 2015, in recognition of her hard work within football in the community.
Less than 50 girls nationwide are selected to train with England, but Lucy, a forward, said that she wouldn’t let the pressure get to her.
She said: “I’m not actually that nervous to train with England, I’m just really excited. This has all made this real for me and I hope that some day I can be a professional footballer.”
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