America calls for football ace Ella

A Year 11 student at The Birkenhead Park School has earned a prestigious place at a college in the USA to play football after she finishes her studies in the UK.

Ella, who currently plays at Under 16 level for both Tranmere Rovers and Merseyside county, was both the youngest person and the only female taking part in trials for places in America this week, and made it through to take the next step on the way to her dream career.

She will find out next week what her options are in regards to where about in the US she will head to, and she has the choice to go either after her GCSEs or her A Levels, with level-headed Ella thinking that getting A Levels under her belt gives her further options for the future.

Star striker Ella said: “I was shaking with excitement when I got the email to say that I’d got through. This opportunity has given me even more focus to do well in my GCSE exams so I meet the USA college entry requirements. I want to do really well.”

Embodying the school value of Ambition, Ella said that her inspiration in football was her dad, who also played at a high level when he was younger and taught her about the sport.

She explained that she was influenced to apply for the America spot by another local football star’s story: “I play for Tranmere as England striker Jodie Taylor did, and she did exactly this and played at an American college. That’s someone local from Birkenhead doing it, so if she can do it, anyone can.”