Dutch girl footballers tackle knee injuries

FIFTEEN-year-old Esmee Stuut sprints between cones on a football pitch in the Netherlands, her every movement captured on camera as part of a study into a crippling knee injury that affects girls more than boys.

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Cruciate ligament injuries can rule out a footballer for several months and teenage girls are especially at risk - for physical and mental reasons. The study Esmee, a youth striker at FC Groningen in the north of the country, is taking part in aims to improve the movement of female teenage footballers like her.

"A lot of girls of my age have had it. I'm happy to be able to do my bit to help out," the young player said, breathless from the sprinting exercise.

The Netherlands is a hotbed for women’s football, with the national team crowned European Champions in 2017 and reaching the World Cup Final in 2019.

The small country has 175 000 women club members, with the figure constantly rising. France, for example, has just over 250 000 for a much bigger population.