A talented young footballer from Flintshire is living the dream after beating hundreds of rivals to a place with Women\u2019s Super League giants Manchester United.<\/p>\n
Poppy Holt, a pupil at Myddelton College, Denbigh, was selected by the Red Devils from 1300 triallists this summer.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a remarkable rise for 14-year-old Red Devils fan Poppy, from Mold, whose footballing journey had begun long before, playing in the back garden with brother Harry from the age of five.<\/p>\n
Now just a few years after her parents, Tim and Lisa, took her and big brother Harry on an Old Trafford Stadium Tour, Poppy is a player with famous club\u2019s junior sides.<\/p>\n
She followed in Harry\u2019s footsteps playing for the school team at Ysgol Derwen, in Higher Kinnerton, for Kinnerton Oaks FC and then Aston Park Rangers FC boys in the Flintshire Junior League.<\/p>\n
She was still at primary school when she impressed on trial with Wrexham and where she moved up the ladder as a goalscoring number ten in five years with the Racecourse club, winning Player of the Year awards.<\/p>\n
She was then scouted by the FA of Wales North Region Academy and has gone on to win caps for Wales Under-14s.<\/p>\n
Poppy, who is lucky enough to have dual nationality for Wales and England, was offered places at other Premier League clubs this summer but her heart was set on the Red Devils.<\/p>\n
Poppy is already making her mark with United after going through a rigorous selection process: \u201cWe started off with over a thousand of us,\u201d she said: \u201cThen after the first trial I received an e-mail to tell me I had got through to the next phase. It was the best email I have ever had.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt came to the final trial and there were only 11 of us and at the end I was told I had been successful!\u201d<\/p>\n
Tim said: \u201cPoppy has always been a United fan and it\u2019s a dream come true for her to play for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s already played against Liverpool, scored a penalty against Derby County and scored against Sheffield United.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe trains with them three times a week at Eccles and also plays and trains with the Wales Girls North Region at the weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cPoppy has won six caps for Wales and spent a week on a training camp in Serbia, which included internationals against North Macedonia, Serbia and Chile.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was recently picked for the Wales Under-16s squad for a three-day camp at the FA headquarters at St George\u2019s Park where she met the England Lionesses players and she picked up an assist when Wales drew 1-1 with England Under-16s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Myddelton College Director of Sport and Assistant Headmaster Mike Pearson said: \u201cPoppy really has done brilliantly \u2013 she\u2019s a very talented young footballer and she\u2019s a great role model for the younger girls.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a football academy at the school and she speaks to and encourages the others and is a fantastic example to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time we can make sure she doesn\u2019t miss out when she\u2019s away with United or with Wales as she can keep up with her lessons online.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gemma Owen, Wrexham FC\u2019s Head of Female Football, saw Poppy\u2019s development from the age of 10 and she said: \u201cPoppy really stood out from the start because of the natural talent she has and her willingness to learn.<\/p>\n
\u201cNaturally we are gutted that she has moved on but we have no doubt she will go on to do great things. She\u2019s such a good player and an even better person as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mum Lisa added: \u201cThe school have been great, very encouraging, and they\u2019ve done everything they can to support her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen she has time off to train with United or for internationals for Wales she can access learning online and speak to her teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Poppy has always been a keen skier, taking to the slopes on family holidays, but she will have to give that up for her football dream of playing for United: \u201cI used to love skiing,\u201d she said \u201cBut I can\u2019t do things like that any more.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy ambition is to play for United.\u201d<\/p>\n
Myddelton College, a co-educational day and boarding school, was the UK\u2019s newest independent school when it opened in the autumn of 2016 and is the only school in North Wales with a 5G network.<\/p>\n
The school currently has 340 pupils, 75 of them boarders and 70 staff, 35 of them teachers and Mr Allman added: \u201cThe school has integrated into the local community very well and we have formed sporting partnerships with a number of local clubs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to provide to well-rounded education and give all our pupils a breadth of opportunities, indoors and outdoors including the chance to work with and form bonds with people and countries all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information about Myddelton College go to https:\/\/www.myddeltoncollege.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n