Harrogate Lioness Rachel Daly unveils pitch at former school

Rachel Daly said she was "honoured" to have the pitch named after her

World cup finalist Rachel Daly has had a football pitch named after her at her old school.

The 31-year-old was at Rossett School, in Harrogate, on Thursday to unveil a sign for the Rachel Daly 3G Pitch.

During her visit she spoke with pupils and PE teachers and recalled how she used to dream of becoming a professional footballer.

She said: "It's a real honour to see these girls hopefully become future Lionesses."

• The Harrogate girl who became a Lioness

Daly, 31, met a number of aspiring footballers and 'future Lionesses' during the visit

The Aston Villa player, who also brought her pet dog along for the event, told the BBC: "I spent many hours on the old astroturf and I had to drag girls off the playground to make up a team.

"I set my mind to something and worked every single day for it. I knew football would be my career.

"It's an honour to see girls playing on the pitch now in a safe, comfortable space."

She added: "It's a really nice feeling to see how much women's football has developed."

Daly, who graduated from Rossett School in 2010, made her England debut in June 2016 against Serbia and has played 78 matches for the Lionesses.

Since signing for Aston Villa in August 2022 she has scored 22 goals and in August was named the PFA Player's Player of the Year.