Bedford football campaigner wants to 'play for Lionesses'

Lola loves to play football as well as netball

A girl who won an England Football award for equal rights in the sport says she wants to "play for the Lionesses".

Lola, 10, from Bedford, started a petition that has more than 65,000 signatures, for girls to play football at schools "like boys".

Her work was recognised with a Let Girls Play award.

She said football should not be "just be for boys" and wants all girls to be able to play it at school.

Lola started to play football at her school

Lola plays with a girls' team and is also the only girl in a boys' team.

She was spurred into action after fellow female players told her that at some schools there were only boys football teams and no provision for girls.

Lola said: "Let girls play football at schools, like the boys do - equal rights for all.

"I want to play for the Lionesses, I support Tottenham but I do like the Arsenal women a lot."

Kelly, her mother, said: "Football is our national sport and actually girls and boys should be allowed to play it and there shouldn't need to be a petition to allow girls to play sport like the boys.

"The World Cup is only showing how much the game has moved forward.

"Hopefully people like Lola continuing to try to make a change will continue to grow the game and who knows where we will be in the future?"

Lola said she looks up to England footballer Alessia Russo

She told BBC Three Counties Radio, that Lola loves to play and "is as good as and probably better than some [boys]."

"I think it says a lot of where we are now - her team has welcomed her - there's no disparity between her and a boy player and it's lovely to see, it's good for other girls to see that.

Lola plays football with a boys' team and girls' team

"You've got to be brave. This is what we need to teach the next generation isn't it?

"If you want to make a change - do it - and she's certainly loud enough to do that," she added.