THE first elite football academies for schoolgirls in the country are to be launched in the North-East this year.

St Bede’s Comprehensive school in Peterlee and St Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Hebburn are set to open their doors to the most promising young female players in the region in September.

The Northern Echo:

Launch of Improtech's Girls Elite Football Academy, St Bedes RC School, Peterlee.

The academies are open to all talented girl footballers - from religious or non-religious backgrounds - with the only criteria for joining being talent and dedication.

And the hope is they will deliver senior footballers of the future, with thriving clubs on the doorstep in Durham Women, Sunderland Ladies and Newcastle Ladies ready to reap the benefits.

Overseeing the running and development of the two Improtech Soccer academies will be Carlton Fairweather, the former manager of FA Women’s Super League side, Sunderland.

Fairweather, who was a professional player with Wimbledon, says he couldn’t be more excited about a project that could the North-East a hotbed of women’s football in years to come.

He said: “There’s a reason why professional footballers train during the day - it’s the most receptive time for you to work on your game.

“You’re at your sharpest mentally and physically at that time of the day and for a young player to have the chance to work on their game during school hours is a massive bonus in terms of their development.

“There’s nowhere like this in the North-East or across the country where talented young girls will be part of yearly groups of ladies footballers working on their skills alongside their studies.”

The academies will be run by Improtech Soccer, the biggest provider of football in education in the North of England, which currently operates successful centres on Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside.

Fairweather added: “I’ve seen the results Improtech has had over the years with young lads signing for football clubs up and down the country and I would like to do the same for girls’ football development.

“The Academies at St Bede’s and St Joseph’s will hopefully give us the chance to get promising young groups of girl footballers together and make sure their football talent is developed to its fullest potential.”

Speaking at the official Football Academy launch at St Bede’s, headteacher Fran Craik said: “We are thrilled to be able to offer girls the same service as we are providing for the boys, with some of the most highly-qualified football coaches around giving them the same sort of training you would see at professional football clubs.

“We are fully committed to making St Bede’s a beacon of footballing excellence in East Durham and can’t wait to get started.

“It’s important to stress that the Academy is open to non-Catholics too - the criteria for being part of the Academy will come down to footballing ability.”