Jessica Greenwood playing for Lancashire Under 14s in English Schools Football Association Trophy

Jessica Greenwood

Jessica Greenwood will be playing for Lancashire Under 14s in the semi-final of the English Schools Football Association Trophy in St Albans on 6 February.

The rising star, a pupil at Whitworth Community High School, earned her place in the team last October after her PE teacher at Whitworth, Will Cawley, recommended she have another go at trialling for the team.

Jessica, 14, said: “My dad Tony has always taken me to football matches and encouraged me to play.

“I used to play in a boys team, as a defender, and when we would come onto the pitch the other team would laugh about our team having a girl, but I could play.

“I was a striker when I trialled for Lancashire, but I am now playing right wing and so I set up the goals for the strikers.

“I was on the bench at the start of the Shropshire game [quarter final] and was substituted in three-quarters of the way through the match. I was then able to set up two of our goals.

“When you are on the bench you are nervous because you are just waiting to get a go. When you get on the pitch you forget your nerves because you are so busy running.

“I am thinking about going to a sports college after high school and then I would like to get a scholarship to study in America.”