A 15- year-old Perthshire schoolgirl has been called up for the Scotland under 17 women’s football squad.
Leah Sidey, from Bridge of Earn, has been invited to join the Scotland squad at their training camp in Edinburgh next week.
With Scottish football hitting the headlines the announcement couldn’t have come at a better time for the talented teenager, who is a pupil at Kilgraston School.
After her appearance at the camp the sky is the limit for the young footballer, who hopes she will earn her first Scotland cap later this year.
‘Over the moon’
Proud dad, Fraser Sidey – a former St Johnstone player – said Leah was over the moon to be selected.
He said: “We are so proud of Leah and she is really keen to make it even further in football and this is a brilliant stepping stone for her.”
Leah began playing football aged seven and has gone from strength to strength.
Fraser said she now just wants to see how far she can go.
Fraser said: “She has played with the Jeanfield Swifts for a number of years and has already played in teams where the other girls are all older than her.
Time is on her side
“She has time on her side with this signing.
“All the other girls are older so Leah has plenty time to work with the squad to get selected for matches.”
Fraser added that it was also exciting that Leah was one of only very few girls from the east who has ever made the selection.
He said: “Mostly the girls who are signed are from the west coast and the Glasgow area so it’s great that Leah is able to represent women’s football from this area.”
Fraser said that Leah had recently signed with the Edinburgh Spartans and will go from them to the national training camp.
He said: “Covid-19 put her football ambitions on hold for a little while but now that things are up and running again Leah is determined to make the most of this opportunity.
Cracking wee player
“I know I’m her dad but she really is a cracking wee player and deserves all the success she gets, she really works hard for it.”
When Lean was only 13 she was already starring for the Jeanfield Swifts under-19 football team.
Even at that young age, six years younger than the competition, she was unfazed.
Fraser said: “She knows she can hold her own against the older girls.
“She may be younger but she knows what she is doing.”