The revolution in women’s football continues to gather pace at Loreto Grammar School with two of their most talented young sportswomen signed to the Manchester United Academy.
Izzy Montairo, 14, from Urmston, is a tough-tackling midfield playmaker with box-to-box stamina and has been at the Old Trafford club for five seasons now, while Francesca Stables, 13, from Sale is a fast winger with an accurate delivery who is now in her third season and currently in the under-14 group.
Both girls train with United at least four times each week and hope to go as far as possible in the game, with their ultimate ambition to make the England squad.
Izzy said: “The success of the current England women’s football team has given our generation something to aim for and we know if we work hard we have a future in the game.”
Francesca added: “Our friends all think it’s pretty cool, football is as much for girls now as it used to be just for boys.”
Loreto’s head of PE, Catherine Ball, said: “It’s wonderful that more and more young women see football as a viable career, and, of course, in this area we are blessed with some of the best academies in the world. However, make no mistake they will have to work just as hard and make as many sacrifices as the boys if they want to succeed.”
