A 14-year-old Locks Heath girl who plays top level football has been given a special award after representing Malta.
Megan Jones with her trophy
Football fanatic Megan Jones has been dribbling, shooting and scoring in football since she was four years old and owes it all to her grandfather Brian who encouraged her as a youngster.
He had the chance to play for Aston Villa, but was discouraged by his father, so Brian knew it would be important to support Megan and her siblings in the sport she loves.
Brookfield School pupil Megan, who plays centre back, smiled as she reflected on the positive influence of her granddad.
“My granddad used to play football when he was younger. He got a chance to play for Aston Villa but his dad burned his football boots and told him to get a real job, so he did,” said Megan, of Crescent Road.
“When my granddad died, he told my dad that all of us children have something with football. He told my dad to make sure we did it.
“It’s a big part of my life because I started when I was really young.”
Megan began playing with Locks Heath Lions and then stepped up her game playing at different clubs across the south including Eastleigh and Gosport. She was selected aged eight to train and play with the Hampshire Football Association Centre of Excellence.
Megan Jones in her Malta kit
Now, she plays for the Maltese team and was presented with Hampshire FA’s special award for international selection.
She played with her 10 other Malta team mates in a 14 to 16-year-olds tournament recently in Greece against the home side, Azerbaijan and Israel – but unfortunately lost to the home team.
But she gave it her all and said: “It’s really nerve-wracking but it gives you a buzz as well. I want to be able to get a scholarship when I finish school and go to America. Hampshire is very supportive of it and tell you how to get there.
“My mum and dad, and all of my family, are proud of me. It’s good to get the award.”