Lioness Georgia Stanway gave up football at the age of 12 after being told she was no longer allowed to play with or against boys due to FA rules.
She could have gone on to be a professional in another sport after becoming a county standard cricketer and a promising table tennis and netball player – but fortunately returned to football.
Georgia, 23, first started playing aged four for Furness Rovers Boys, based close to her home in Askam, Cumbria, and played for the club’s under-sixes, sevens, eights, nines and tens.