An inspiration to youngsters' The rapid rise of Michelle Agyemang

Four years ago, Michelle Agyemang was a ballgirl at Wembley stadium, witnessing the Lionesses rule the pitch in a 4-0 victory against Northern Ireland.

- Sammy Gecsoyler

Now, aged just 19, she no longer finds herself retrieving balls that have veered out of play, but is an integral part of the team she once admired from the sidelines.

The forward, who football fans hope will be showing off her on-pitch magic tomorrow as the Lionesses face off against Spain in the Euros 2025 final, began her journey to the top of the sport in her Essex home town of South Ockendon.

It all started in 2011 at Brandon Groves AFC, where a five-year-old Agyemang took her first steps into the sport. She was talented, determined and, at the time, the only girl at the club, which has run in the area for 29 years. She played there for two seasons before being picked up by the Arsenal academy.