FEMALE footballers took a break from preparing for life in the top flight of the women’s game to pass on some tips to budding young players.

Sunderland striker Beth Mead and goalkeeper Rachael Laws gave a group of fledgling players the benefit of their expertise as part of a girls’ football festival.

They put almost 100 girls, aged six to 16, through their paces at Farringdon Community Academy, in Sunderland, at the half-term football coaching session, staged by the club’s charitable arm, The Foundation of Light.

It is hoped the free event will inspire the next generation of female footballers to raise their game and aim to follow in the course leaders’ footsteps.

Sharp-shooter Mead, from Whitby, twice topped the scoring charts as Sunderland won back-to-back Premier League titles, before ending last season as WSL2 (Women’s Super League second division) champions at the first time of asking.

It has seen the Lady Black Cats promoted to the WSL1, the top tier of women’s football, for the first time, with the new season starting at the end of next month, seeing Sunderland facing an opening fixture against reigning champions Liverpool.

While Mead has been firing the goals at one end, Laws, from Hebburn, South Tyneside, has proved equally effective in preventing them being conceded at the other end, earning her England Under-23 honours and a stand-by call up to the senior national squad for a World Cup qualifying game against Wales, last summer.

Apart from the players’ masterclass, top female match official Lucy May also gave a refereeing workshop as part of the activities for the day.