New Essex football centre aims to produce next Lionesses

Maddie Biggs, an Ipswich Town player and University of Essex student, hopes to benefit from the centre

A new football centre of excellence hopes to produce the next generation of female players and coaches.

The University of Essex will be the first FA women's high performance centre in the East of England.

It was part of further development of the women's game following England's historic Euro 2022 victory.

Tracy Lewis, from the university, said: "It'll help those girls and women in the region to fulfil their dreams and hopefully become a Lioness."

The centre will work on developing players and coaches from Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

University of Essex lecturer Tracy Lewis hopes the centre will increase the clubs linked with the university

More than £160,000 of funding has been awarded to the University of Essex over the next two years, as one of two new centres, along with Birmingham City University.

The university already has existing partnerships with clubs like Ipswich Town, Billericay Town, Hashtag United and AFC Sudbury, and is one of 12 universities that support Women's Super League Academies.

Ms Lewis, a lecturer at the university's school of sport, rehabilitation and exercise sciences, said: "It's a fantastic opportunity for the University of Essex and this region."

She said the centre would "build and grow elite coaches" and roles such as sports scientists and therapists.

Lauren Hemp, part of the Euro 2022-winning side, started her career at her home town club North Walsham Youth FC in Norfolk

Although the planning for the centre was in place before the Euros, Ms Lewis said the success should "continue to bring girls and women" into the sport.

"They will see there is a pathway, they can progress, and they can access good facilities with good coaches," she said.

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The FA said by 2024 it wanted 75% of schools to provide equal access for girls to play the game and 75% of all grassroots clubs to offer at least one girls' team, with 1,000 clubs offering a complete accredited pathway for girls.

It hopes the Euros can create half a million extra opportunities for women and girls to play the game.

'Now it's our turn'

Footballer Maddie Biggs said she wanted to take her football " to the highest level possible"

Maddie Biggs, a striker for Ipswich Town, said England's win in the Euros was "huge".

She said: "It's really inspirational for everyone in sport, women and men, girls and boys.

"It opens many more doors, highlights to young girls 'you can do this', even if it's not football, it's another sport, it is out there for you to pursue a career in it.

"The girls in training feel a certain buzz now we've seen that happen, it's good for us to know they've done that, now it's our turn to do it."

The 19-year-old said the centre at the university, where she is also a student, would "attract everyone from all over".

"The east region is really big, [the centre] is the focal point for [players] to come here and get high-level coaching," she said.