There's no bigger honour in sport than being able to represent your country at the highest level, and for 14-year-old Martha Allington she hopes that one day she'll get that opportunity. After taking part in an England training camp during the summer, she is one step closer to living out her dream and appearing on the grandest stage of them all...
England calling: Martha ready for England training. Credit: Steve Allington.
The year 2022 will be remembered for plenty of reasons in sport, but top of that list has to be the fact that football came home.
England's Lionesses were sublime in their 2022 Euro campaign, beating Germany 2-1 at Wembley thanks to a winner in extra-time by Manchester City forward Chloe Kelly.
Kelly came off the bench to fire home the winner from a corner in the 110th minute, sending the England fans in attendance, and the millions watching at home, into pure pandemonium.
History makers: Highlights from the Lionesses' win over Germany. Credit: BBC Sport YouTube.
This meant they ended the country's 56-year wait for a major trophy, avenging the defeat of the men who lost to Italy on penalties in the same stadium just over a year earlier.
Their success has led to even more women wanting to take up the sport and has inspired the next generation to follow in their footsteps.
14-year-old Martha Allington is living out her dream of playing football for Manchester United under 14's and has also been involved in an England training camp through the summer, and one-day hopes to emulate the success of her heroes.
The forward started off her career at Blackburn, scoring 175 goals in one season back in 2018/2019, before making the move to United in July last year.
Since then she has gone from strength to strength, recently picking up The FA DNA Cup with her team, but she remembers how hard she had to work to get this opportunity.
Winners: With the trophy. Credit: Steve Allington.
"I wasn't really expecting it to be honest", Martha said.
She continued: "I didn't think that I did that well in the first trial, but on the second one I sort of made it right because I knew what I had to do to get in, but it was a really good experience and the feeling I got when I found out that I'd been selected to play for Manchester United was really exciting."
On getting the invite to take part in an England training camp she said: "It was a really good feeling, the training facilities and everything around the place just made it a good experience.
"I actually got the letter while I was on holiday, and I was just so happy to have been selected for it."
The Theatre of Dreams: At Old Trafford. Credit: Steve Allington.
Most teenagers like to try their hand at all kinds of different sports before settling to focus on a certain one, and for Martha it was no different.
She did dancing, and even played rugby league, before deciding that football was the sport for her, even though she doesn't remember exactly what made her take up football.
Martha said: "I don't know really because I did do dancing before football, so it's not like I straight away wanted to do football so I don't actually know what made me start, I just did what I could."
Behind Martha and her dream to play for England one day are her parents Adele and Steve Allington who make sure Martha gets to where she needs to be for training and matches, making the four and a half hour round trip from Millom to Manchester regularly.
Steve himself is a former amateur footballer and is also a Liverpool fan, and he recalls his early memories of his daughter playing football, and how she was one of the only girls who was playing.
Steve said: "She started playing for Millom while she was seven and she played a few games, I can remember their being only one other girl who we played against.
"We didn't know where it was going to take us really, she obviously enjoyed it and didn't mind playing with the lads, and there were signs there in her athleticism and things that she was good."
Martha's first team that she signed for was Blackburn Rovers, after being invited to a trial's day hosted by the club after they had visited her school.
Steve said: "She first went down for trials at Blackburn when she was nine, and there were some very good players who were doing fancy tricks and skills.
"The thing that really stood out in Martha though was this pace and power she has and that shooting ability as well."
Contract signing: Martha signing her contract with Manchester United. Credit: Steve Allington.
The 46-year-old also believes that England's Euro triumph will see more and more young women want to get involved, and believes the FA are supporting its development in the correct ways.
"I think Martha's got in front of this massive increase in girls playing football, because there's more and more younger girls now getting interested in the game.
"The changes that the FA have made where they are trying to increase the number of girls who have access to qualified coaching instead of just somebody's dad, and that reflects the Euro success and can only be a positive going forward."
He is also proud of what his daughter has gone on to achieve in the game so far and thinks it would be brilliant one day if she got the chance to pull on that England jersey like some of her current idols in Alessa Russo, England captain Leah Williamson who's had a mural painted after her, and fellow Cumbrian Georgia Stanway.
Leader of the Lionesses: The mural of Leah Williamson in her hometown Newton Pagnell. Credit: Women's International Champions Cup Twitter.
"The commitment that Martha has had to show, and obviously we are happy to support her, it already feels like we've got a good payback for it because she's just got so far, but to get to that professional stage and even just to pull on an England shirt at under 15's level it would make it all worthwhile."
For Martha though her focus is all on what lies ahead this season and seeing whether she gets into the next England training squad which is due to be released in October.
One day though Martha hopes that she'll be able to pull on the actual England jersey for the open age team.
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