A Rawtenstall schoolgirl has been selected to play for the England under 15s team after undergoing three gruelling trials to secure her place.

Ocean Flanagan, 14, who attends Haslingden High School, has been playing football since the age of six and has played in her school teams since Year 4 at Helmshore Primary School.

The star central midfielder, who can also play in defence, was part of the school’s U15 and U14 teams that got to the quarter-final of the English Schools Football Association PlayStation Schools’ Cup, and she also captained the school’s U14 team to Lancashire Cup success.

The aspiring Lioness will be hoping to emulate the success of Keira Walsh, who was part of England’s UEFA Euro Women’s 2022-winning squad having also attended Haslingden High School as a youngster.

Ocean, from Rawtenstall, said: “I went for the first trial for the England U15s team at Cockerham Park, Newcastle, in October when it was the North East vs North West.

“The I went back to Newcastle in mid-November for the North vs Midlands and there were England scouts watching that game.

“The last trial should have been on December 13, but it was cancelled because of snow, which was lucky for me because I couldn’t have taken part – I was injured with soft tissue damage to my ankle and I was ill.

“They rearranged it to January 15 at Shrewsbury Sports Village and it was the North vs South. The North team won 3-1 and we played three 30 minute periods.

“I played the first 30 minutes, was off for the second one and then back on again for the first 15 minutes of the last 30.

“When I got subbed off, I thought I had had it. Every girl was as good as each other and it was probably the best standard of girls’ football I have ever played in.

“There were 48 girls playing that day and there were only 18 places on the England team.

“We left and went back home, then on the Monday evening it came on Instagram that I was on the team; I started crying.”

Mum Emma, who drives Ocean to all her matches, and dad Anthony, who used to be a semi-professional footballer, were both delighted.

Ocean will be presented with her England shirt in February when she goes on a three-day camp at the St George’s Park National Football Centre in Staffordshire.

In April she will join up with her teammates for a week-long tournament in Glasgow.

After playing for Haslingden Girls, Ocean played for Padiham Girls and Blackburn Rovers, the club that moulded Lionesses stars Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone.

She now plays for and trains with Bury and Accrington Stanley, represents Lancashire, has been invited to join Manchester United’s futsal team, and trains with them at their Emerging Training Centre and the Regional Training Centre.

On her dreams for the future, Ocean said: “I have met Georgia Stanway [England midfielder] because she started with Blackburn Rovers and she came to talk to us and was really good; she made me realise that this is what I wanted to do.

“I watched the Euros at home. Georgia played for the England U15 team too and I am following her pathway.

"I hope to get to the England squad and help the Lionesses to win the World Cup.”