New scholarship for girls' careers in football

The course qualifies girls for a range of careers in the women's game

A new course is launching to help propel girls into careers in women's football.

The Girls' Football Scholarship launches in September, and offers a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport for 16 to 19 year-olds who want to be professional footballers, physiotherapists, referees or coaches.

The two-year course is in partnership with The New Saints FC Foundation - the charity of Oswestry's The New Saints football club.

It will be based at North Shropshire College's Oswestry campus.

The scholarship will give students the opportunity to work with a UEFA qualified coach, and the chance to work and play alongside TNS FC teams.

It is designed to teach girls about all football careers within the women's game, compared to the male version of course which focuses on becoming a professional player.

“We have to accept that the women’s game is not as far forward and there are not as many opportunities to play full time," said Shauna Duffy, head of women and girls’ football at The New Saints FC.

"This scholarship offers lots of different ways of pursuing a full-time career in football not just as a professional player but as a coach or a referee or a physio."