Dad makes sticker album for daughter's Rothwell football team

Carmela Ashton said it felt like Christmas when she opened the stickers

A father who got so fed up of trying to find football cards of the England Lionesses has made his own sticker book for his daughter's football team.

Simon Ashton's eight-year-old daughter Carmela was disappointed after being unable to get hold of any of the Panini Women's World Cup stickers.

He solved the problem by making a sticker book for Carmela and her team mates at Rothwell Juniors in Leeds.

"He's the best dad in the world," Carmela said.

The girls' team were given the books and stickers at a presentation evening

Through swapping with their teammates, they were all able to fill their books

Photographer Mr Ashton said: "We had a magical time putting the stickers in the book and Carmela was so excited by it all but then we hit a dead end.

"We went to numerous shops and newsagents but they'd either sold them all or were unsure if they were getting more stock.

"So I thought, you know what, I'll just make one myself."

He pictured all of the 21 girls in their kit and got a designer to create a collector's album, which was handed out to them at a presentation evening on Friday.

Simon Ashton said the books would be keepsakes for the team

Striker Carmela, who has been playing football for three years, said: "It felt like it was Christmas again when I got the cards and ripped them open, and you thought 'oh I've got myself'."

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Mr Ashton, 39, from Oulton, Leeds, said: "They were absolutely delighted and beyond excited at seeing themselves on the stickers.

"The girls were screaming 'I've got you' and they were swapping stickers with one another to fill the book.

"Hopefully it will be a keepsake for them and if any of the girls go on to make it to the England team, they can look back at their books and say I played with her."