Nine-year-old’s Football Journey: From Boys’ Teams to Aston Villa Girls’ Squad

A nine-year-old footballer, who has competed in boys’ teams since the age of four, is now “enjoying her football even more” after securing a place in Aston Villa’s girls’ squad. Kieran, Iris’s father, stated that this represented one of the limited chances she has had to participate in an exclusively female team. He remarked, “She’s always been in boys teams,” adding, “as she’s getting a little bit older that’s something else she’s had to overcome, being the only girl.” Dan Chell, her coach, commented: “When she first started you’d get the comments about ‘ooh a girl on the team’, until she played and then it was soon quiet.” From the start of her football career, Iris has been part of boys’ teams at Newcastle Town, DNA Academy, Eccleshall Eagles, and currently Eccleshall FC. With the exception of a short period playing for Stoke City Girls, her September signing with Aston Villa marked a significant chance to play in an all-female squad. Kieran observed, “She gets to play with with high quality girls all around her,” and added, “I just think she enjoys it even more.” Iris herself described playing for Villa as “fun.” Both her family and Aston Villa support her continued participation with her local boys’ team, where she plays up to six times weekly to further enhance her skills. Mr. Chell expressed satisfaction when opposing managers initially underestimated Iris’s abilities, though he noted that this is no longer the case. “It’s completely changed now because everyone’s aware of Iris,” he chuckled, adding, “I’m convinced she’ll make it all the way.” Mr. Chell intends to establish a girls’ team at Eccleshall FC next year, aiming to cultivate the same enthusiasm for football demonstrated by Iris. Dani Taylor, the Women’s and girls football participation officer for the Staffordshire FA, reported that 4% of female footballers in Staffordshire are involved in the emerging talent centre network, a percentage considerably greater than that observed in the men’s game. Ms. Taylor also mentioned the Staffordshire FA’s enthusiasm for the recently introduced four-year nationwide strategy designed to further advance girls’ and women’s football. The organization has already observed substantial growth in the number of female role models volunteering for grassroots coaching positions. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.