When Emily Scarr isn't studying for her Level 3 Sports Coaching and Development diploma at Middlesbrough College, she is tearing up the football field in a pair of cleats. Not only is she excelling towards her dream of becoming a PE teacher, but she was also scouted to play for England after a five-day tour in Finland earlier this year.
With all of these achievements in mind, it's difficult to remember that Emily is only 18 years old, so we absolutely had to chat to her and find out all about her football career.
She discovered her passion for the sport from a very young age. After watching her brother play, she was eager to get involved, so with some encouragement from her mum, she joined Bishop Auckland, St. Mary's at only 6 years old.
Unfortunately, as there is no girls-only team at Bishop Auckland, St. Mary's, Emily ended up having to join the boys team.
While she was one of the best players, she did receive a few negative comments from some of the boys. Of course, she showed them who was boss and stuck with the club for 10 years before moving on in 2016.
It was after this time that she started to play for Teesside Regional Talent Club - a club that aims to "produce female footballers of international calibre".
With a focus on individual player development accompanied by high quality coaching and support, Emily became a much stronger and confident player. While she enjoyed her time here, manager Lindsey Stephenson recognised that Emily's talent could take her further.
"You have to be 16 to play for Middlesbrough women's side, so as soon as I turned 16, Lindsey signed me on and I played my first game against Chester-Le-Street," Emily recalls.
Being a part of this team was much different to her time at Bishop Auckland, St. Mary's and Teesside RTC, so she was quite nervous initially. However, she surprised herself and became settled very quickly. "I was the youngest one there and they all called me the baby of the group for a while, but they were all so welcoming."
Now, after three seasons of playing in left midfield for Middlesbrough Women's FC, Emily has no worries about fitting in. "I'm very comfortable now. I know everyone and get along with all my team mates. I'm really enjoying playing with the team and we're playing at a higher standard than when I first joined, which is what we aim to keep doing," she says.
If Emily needed any more proof that she was destined for stardom, she received a call to invite her on tour as an England International. Having been to several England training camps and scouted as a player with potential, she was originally on standby, but due to another player's injury, she was called up and she couldn't say yes any quicker.
"I was so proud of myself and happy to show them what I'm like," she says, "all my team mates were over the moon for me. They all said that I deserved it and social media went mad with messages from all my friends, family and football fans that I didn't even know!"
This amazingly positive reaction from everyone around her gave Emily such a confidence boost, and even though she was nervous about travelling away from home with the England team, she knew that she had good support around her and thoroughly enjoyed herself.
But what exactly does a typical day on tour look like?
While the tour days were long and often intense, Emily learned a great deal about what it was like to play to a professional standard and made friends from across the country who she keeps in contact with via social media.
Taking part in a tour like this has certainly put her in England's sights and Emily hopes that she gets the chance to play her full cap for the team.
Whether she chooses to pursue her career as a PE teacher or a professional footballer or both, her future is blindingly bright. She still continues to play for Middlesbrough Women's FC, but who knows where her fabulous footwork and sports savvy will take her next!
Make sure you take a look at the Middlesbrough Women's FC Facebook and keep up with their efforts in the FA Women's National League.
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