Sheffield star Enderby defies childhood opposition to take on successful career

Sheffield United star Mia Enderby defied opposition players and parents as a junior to kickstart her burgeoning football career. The 17-year-old has become a familiar and popular figure at the club, making several first-team appearances after joining the Blades in 2021 following a four-year spell in the Leeds academy. Ad Enderby first started playing aged six, though opportunities to play with other girls were few and far between, with the teenager more often than not playing in boys' teams.

Euro QualifyingEuro 2024 qualifying primer – How can teams qualify? Why is England’s group so hard?AN HOUR AGO And she admits that her motivation to succeed stems from some of the unwelcoming attitudes she faced during her youth. «I went to Leeds at U12, and I was there until U16,» said Enderby, who is funded by a partnership between SportsAid and Starling Bank. «It was all girls which was great as before I'd been playing with boys, and the transition was really good.

I found that I fit in more with the girls, as the boys didn't like that I was the only girl playing and the parents were hard on me as well. »I was really passionate and dedicated to the game and all I wanted to do was play football. I think when I was in the boys' team it didn't really bother me because I thought 'I'm better than you.' Me being a girl doesn't define how I play and who I am, that helped me a lot.

«I was very driven. They used to say to me all the time that 'I'm stronger than you' but then I was like 'I'm just as strong as you' — I'd give it back. It's about having that passion — you're just as good as them.