A young player from Oxfordshire has spoken of her excitement at earning a place on a national youth squad as she works toward ultimately representing the senior England women’s team.

Violet Parsons, who comes from Bicester, is the sole athlete representing Oxfordshire among both the England Under 15 Schoolgirls Team and the Under 18 Schoolboys Team, with both announcements made on March 25.

The 14-year-old sportswoman plays for Oxford United Academy and is dreaming of a future professional career in the Women’s Super League as well as securing a spot with England’s senior women’s national side.

She described receiving confirmation of her place in the England Schoolgirls Under 15s squad as an incredible privilege, adding that it had been an aspiration since she first started playing at age nine. Her primary ambition, she explained, is to pull on her nation’s shirt at the World Cup and eventually establish herself as a professional footballer in the WSL.

Violet Parsons of Bicester has been called up to an England youth team (Image: Natalie Parsons)

From an initial group of 80 hopefuls, 18 girls secured positions in the Under 15 squad, with the team’s opening match set for May 23 against Wales at Cirencester Town FC.

Many of today’s Lionesses internationals have previously passed through the England U15 Schoolgirls programme, with Poppy Pattinson being the most recent to make the leap to the senior setup.

The 25-year-old featured in that 2015 squad and made her first senior appearance for England against Ukraine on March 3, having built her reputation through strong displays for London City Lionesses and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The English Schools’ Football Association, which was established in 1904, acts as the governing body for school football throughout England and has managed international representative sides since 1907.

The organisation delivers in excess of one million football participation experiences for schoolchildren across England each year.