Refer a player HERE

Yes? Here’s your chance to refer a player and she could take her first step on the Women’s England Talent Pathway. The Referral Window is open from the 9 January to 15 March 2023 so now’s the perfect time to act. Last season we saw over 2000 unique referrals and a host of talent that we wouldn’t have discovered without your support.

We need coaches and clubs, volunteers, match officials, teachers or anyone else working with young players who see potential to put forward your players.

We’re looking for players who are eligible to represent England, who are born between 2006 and 2010, this could even include players who excel in other sports who may have transferable skills! We want to give them the opportunity to access our inclusive and accessible pathway and importantly they will continue to play in their existing environment, wherever that may be.

Refer a player HERE

Our aim is to ensure we supply England teams with the quality and depth of players to enable England to win a major tournament. In pursuit of this ambition, we’re leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding future talent across England.

So, it’s over to you. If you have a player in mind, all you need to do is refer her by filling in our Player Referral Form and we will do the rest.

Refer a player HERE

The centres provide an educational and community-based hub to recruit, develop and deploy coaches and the wider workforce to lead and inspire player development within the women’s and girls’ game. They will further provide a link with the player pathway to help talented players, who will benefit from coaching, sports science, sports medicine and scholarship opportunities in an academic and community environment.

The addition of Essex and Birmingham City University is part of The FA’s ongoing commitment to develop coaches within women’s and girls’ football. The existing eight universities have renewed their partnership to continue operating Women’s High Performance Football Centres until July 2024

• Northumbria University
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Nottingham Trent University & University of Nottingham
• Sheffield Hallam University
• University of Gloucestershire
• Plymouth Marjon University
• St Mary’s University
• University of Chichester

In these areas, clubs from across the football pyramid and women’s football academies will benefit from the partnership by the recruitment of coaches, and the wider workforce, with the Universities providing a wide range of student placements from strength and conditioning, sport therapy, performance analysis, marketing, media and business management.

FA Women’s Pathway Coach Developer Lead, Abbie Sadler commented: “It’s brilliant to add two new partners to our Women’s High Performance Football Centres offering at universities. The opportunities the programme creates will be invaluable to coaches and the wider workforce wanting to take their next steps in women’s football.

“We are also thrilled to have also extended our partnership with all the universities we work with for another two years and cannot wait to continue the great work in the women’s and girls’ game.

“With 10 centres across the country, there’s real depth and breadth to the programme and opportunities for coaches nationwide.”

Dr Dave Parry, Director of Sport at the University of Essex said: “We are delighted to have been selected by The FA and England Football Learning to be one of their Women’s High Performance Football Centres.   

“The success of the Lionesses at the UEFA Women’s Euros has inspired the whole country, and there really couldn’t be a better time to be part of the next phase of growing the women’s and girls’ game and developing coaches and support staff.”

On the renewal, Phil Cook, Head of Development at Manchester Metropolitan University added: “We are excited to enter our sixth year of the project and are delighted to be one of ten universities nationally with a WHPFC. One area of growth has been the Women’s Goalkeepers Centre hosted at our Platt Lane Sports Complex where over 40 goalkeepers now train whilst being supported by FA accredited coaches and student volunteers.  

Our existing partnership with Manchester City Football Club has already opened up a number of exciting opportunities for our students, coaches and community, and we hope this new extension to our partnership will take the development of the women’s game to an even higher level.”

For further information on the Women’s High Performance Football Centres, please follow this link.

Advice from Toni to any female considering getting involved in football “Do it, just do it”