Highgate is proud to announce that Year 11 pupil, Mathilda, has received her first England cap and continues to train full-time with women’s football club, London Bees.
At London Bees, Mathilda remains an integral part of their Under 16 squad and has been selected on three occasions to travel with the First team. Her debut was a friendly against Yeovil Town but she has also been part of the squad travelling to Manchester United and Crystal Palace. London Bees is an English women’s football club, affiliated with Barnet FC, that plays in the FA Women’s Championship. Next season, Mathilda will be part of London Bees Under 18 squad and will continue to push for a place in their First team.
Alongside this, Mathilda is receiving national honours as a member of the Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) Under 18 and Under 16 squads. Mathilda recently impressed, and scored a goal, in their winning Under 18 match against Scotland Independent Schools FA. She has now been selected for the Under 16 team to play against Kent Schools in March.
Talking about recent matches, Mathilda said: ‘I’ve had so much fun and it is all such a great experience. I’d like to thank all at Highgate for their support in helping me with my football and for believing in me!’
Mr Mario Noto, our Senior School Sport Coordinator who mentors Matilda through our High Performance Programme, said: ‘Mathilda is a pleasure to work with, she has a real appetite to learn and approaches everything in a positive way, with a smile. I am extremely proud of what she has achieved over the past 18 months, with her ISFA Under 16 and Under 18 representative honours just to name a few. This is credit to her attitude, desire and determination to persevere, and to continue to work and improve every element of her game to achieve her goals thus far. Mathilda is an ambassador for our High Performance Programme and for all female athletes at Highgate. She will influence the next generation of pupils to achieve greatness.’
Ms Steph Pride, one of Highgate’s Directors of Sport and Exercise, added: ‘Mathilda is our first female football player to reach this level and we are immensely proud of her success. Her time at London Bees is a fantastic way for her to gain experience and is clearly taking her on the road to a professional football career.’
All at Highgate look forward to seeing how Mathilda’s football future continues. VG
