Women's football centre in Essex unearthing 'hotbed of talent'

A new training centre for women's football has been "massive" for developing a "hotbed of talent", a coach has said.

The University of Essex became the first FA Women's High Performance Football Centre in the East of England when it launched in September.

Its coach development officer, Rosi Webb, said the centre in Colchester was nurturing elite female footballers.

She said: "It's a great opportunity for the students and staff that work here."

As well as coaching at the centre, Ms Webb is manager of Colchester-based Stanway Pegasus, who play in step six of the English non-league football pyramid.

She is one of the only women in England coaching a men's team.

The centre was created off the back of England's historic Euro 2022 victory.

The team there estimate in the last seven months they have supported 53 coaches - 80% are women, and a fifth are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Ms Webb said: "If we can provide opportunities to coaches, to players, it's only going to benefit the game at the top."

"I'd just like to see more coaches in the female game."

Zeeyana Jivraj, who plays for the university football team, the Essex Blades, said: "It's a big change for the girls. We have a lot of access to some really good equipment, facilities and some people to help us.

"It's been a blessing for us to have that around because it provides so many more resources to excel in our sport."

Her teammate on the women's team, Sandra Acheampong, said it created "so many more opportunities for girls like myself to carry on".

"I wasn't playing football for a while, so having it here is definitely giving me confidence to get back into it," she added.

As well as supporting coaches, the centre is also a hub for other roles in the women's game including sports scientists and therapists.

Ryman Farrell, one of the coaches benefiting from the training, said he wanted to work at the "very highest level" of the women's game.

He added: "Just being able to be brave and put myself out there has helped me to build a better and really positive reputation for myself.

"I think that's the important thing."

The FA wants 75% of schools in England to provide equal access for girls to play the game and 75% of all grassroots clubs to offer at least one girls' team.

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