GOALKEEPER Katie Maher has been snapped up by Blackburn Rovers Football Club Ladies team after starring between the sticks for club and county.

The Oakhill College School Year 11 student began playing football at the age of eight-years- old when she played for a mixed team at Mellor Juniors Football Club.

The talented teenager made an impression at Mellor Juniors after discovering her goalkeeping abilities before moveing on to join an all-girls team at Blackburn Community Sports Club.

Once again, she flourished in goal as her talents took her to tournamens both home and abroad.

In 2012, she was part of the Lancashire team that won the National Inter County Cup which was held at Hillsborough. the home of Championship sided Sheffield Wednesday.

Her form between the post certainly grabbed the attention and in 2013, Katie’s manager put her forward for a trial at Blackburn Rovers where she was successful in becoming a member of the Under 17s centre of excellence team.

The following year, Katie took part in trails for the first Northern Regional Under 18s girls football team for the Independent Schools FA (ISFA).

Katie, who is Deputy Head girl at the Whalley college, was then selected to play for them at Harrow school in the football festival.

A call-up for the England Representative Under 16s squad followed for Katie where she attended a two-day camp at St. Georges Park where they trained and played a couple of matches.

And she also got travel to Dallas, Texas with Blackburn Rovers to play in a tournament, where they narrowly lost out in the final.