FA announces 60 girls' emerging talent centres
- Published
The Football Association (FA) has announced the allocation of 60 girls' emerging talent centre (ETC) licences.
The number of young female players engaged in FA programmes across the country will rise from 1,722 to over 4,200 by the end of the 2023-24 season.
The national network of ETCs will be aimed at girls aged eight to 16, operating for at least 30 weeks per season from this September.
In May, the Premier League announced, external £1.75m in funding for the project.
The annual figure will be provided for the the next three years. The centres will focus on five key areas which include:
Better accessibility
More inclusivity
Reducing the impact of early selection
More focused investment
Providing more appropriate challenges
"Our key aims are to provide greater access for more players whilst diversifying the talent pool," said Kay Cossington, the FA's head of women's technical.
"I am delighted that the early signs show that we are well on track to achieve those aims."
She added: "We are extremely excited to be working alongside such a diverse group of clubs and organisations, which will help us identify players for the future, including future England Lionesses."
England's women's team beat Spain 2-1 in extra time on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2022.
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