England striker at Deaf World Cup 'inspired' by Lionesses

Clodagh Farrell said she was "excited" to be representing England at the World Deaf Football Championships

A striker for England at the Deaf World Cup has said the Lionesses have provided her with "motivation and belief".

Clodagh Farrell, 19, is in the second year of a Physiotherapy course at the University of Gloucestershire.

She was selected to play for England at the 2023 Deaf Football World Cup in Malaysia after impressing selectors.

Ms Farrell, who is from Bracknell, said she is now taking inspiration from the women's football team.

The Lionesses made it all the way to the final in Australia, in which they were beaten 1-0 by Spain.

Ms Farrell plays for the University’s women’s football team

Ms Farrell said: "I'm really excited. The performance of the Lionesses in the recent World Cup was really inspiring and it's providing us with lots of motivation and belief for our tournament."

She added that the championships will also be a "great opportunity" for her to learn more sign language and "become more involved in my deaf community, in a way that I know how to - through football".

"It's been really nice spending time with the team and constantly learning new signs," she added.

The competition is taking place in Kuala Lumpur from 20 September to 8 October.

The England team has its first match on Saturday against Turkey.

Its other opponents in the group stages are Poland, Japan and United States, with the matches to be played at various stadiums in the capital city.

Ms Farrell is studying at the University of Gloucestershire

Ms Farrell is enrolled on the University's of Gloucestershire's sports scholarship programme, which helps athletes, officials and aspiring coaches achieve their ambitions.

Matt Tansley, the university's director of sport and physical wellbeing, said: "It takes an incredible amount of commitment balancing study and international competition, so it is really inspiring to see an athlete like Clodagh doing so well in both.

"Our aim is always to ensure we support the whole person, and provide a pathway that ensures the best possible outcomes for our student athletes."