As far as debuts for your country go, they can't get much better than scoring four goals on it can they? 14-year-old Martha Allington from Millom in Cumbria not only got the chance to pull on the England shirt and represent her country but was in goal scoring form as England under 15's beat Wales 7-2. Here she tells all on what it was like to pull on the famous jersey...
LIONESS: Martha on debut for England under 15's, a match she scored four goals in against Wales. Credit: Steve Allington.
No matter what sport you play when your young, and even when you've grown up, there's no greater honour than getting to represent your country at it.
Whether it be through singing the national anthem, or just getting to wear a piece of kit with the badge on, it's always a moment that everyone sportsperson dreams of making one day.
But what is it actually like then when you get that chance?
14-year-old Martha Allington had been selected to take part in an England training camp in September and had already been involved with sessions during the summer at St George's Park.
TRAINING BASE: St George's Park where Martha attended training during the summer. Credit: Anthony Parkes.
That training camp took place at the end of October with a game set up for the end of the week against Wales.
Martha, who usually plays striker, started off her footballing career at Blackburn, scoring 175 goals in one season back in 2018/2019, before making the move to Manchester United in July last year.
Another good start to this season saw Martha pick up The FA DNA Cup with her team, and she recalls the moment that she found out she was starting the match, one she will never forget.
“It was on the Saturday night, and we were in like a meeting," Martha said.
"The coach went through the corners and all the set pieces, then he started putting the starting team up.
PLAYING FOR ENGLAND: Martha in England training gear. Credit: Steve Allington
"I saw the team and I was quite shocked because I didn't think I would have started, but it was good to know that I was going to be starting the match because it showed they thought something of me.”
Come Sunday morning, the nerves had begun to kick in.
Martha managed to calm them down though in the way that every good striker knows how to, score a goal.
"Yeah I was really nervous leading up to the game and as it kicked off," Martha said.
With a smile she continues: "I'd say my first goal though just made me relax altogether."
It's one thing to score one goal on your debut, it's an entirely different thing entirely when you go on to score not just a hat-trick, but four.
RECOGNITION: Martha's debut was recognised by the Manchester United Foundation. Credit: Manchester United Foundation Facebook.
On scoring her four goals Martha said: "When I got my first goal, I was just happy to have scored to be honest.
"I just kind of thought though I’ve got to keep going and just get as many as I can, which ended up being four so, it was a pretty good feeling."
Supporting her as always from the side-lines was dad Steve and mum Adele.
Steve used to play amateur football in the town for Millom, and the 49-year-old compared some of Martha's goals from the game to a certain England striker.
"Some of them were tap ins really like Harry Kane scores," Steve said.
"Two of them were good finishes that came from a through ball and needed a good finish to put them away, but the others were like fox in the box stuff really, a striker's goal should we say."
Kane has just helped his England side progress to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar with a 3-0 win over Senegal in the last 16, Kane scoring the second goal to send the 'Three Lions' on their way.
Unlike Kane and his team who now have a few days rest before taking on France on Saturday night, there was no rest for Martha.
She was straight back into school the next day and back to studying.
She did get plenty of attention from her classmates and teachers though, who wanted to hear all about her performance.
BACK TO SCHOOL: After her England debut Martha was back into school. Credit: Millom School Facebook
Martha said: "Most of the teachers were asking me about it and saying well done and that.
"Some of my friends brought it up and took the mick out of me for it of it but it was a proud moment for me."
There's no break from the football either, but since her England debut Martha has had some more fantastic news.
Steve said: "Things have accelerated quite quickly and she's actually been asked to go to the next under 16's training camp with England in December, with a view to potentially being in the squad for next February for some of their fixtures and training which could be abroad.
"It's a quite a significant step up because there could be girls there 18 months older than Martha and to be deemed worthy of being involved with that squad is just brilliant. "They've also said at United that playing at under 14's level isn't challenging enough for her and they've asked her to be involved with the under 16's as well now so, it's all moving a million miles per hour at the minute."
Despite it not being an official England cap, with games for them not counting until under 16's level, it's the memories that Martha and her family will never forget.
Being able to pull on that shirt and wear the badge with pride, and follow in the footsteps of her heroes, dreaming that one day she might get the chance to emulate their successes of that golden summer gone by is a dream that's definitely worth living.
Comments