AFC Sudbury Girls Academy duo Amber Provan and Ronni Harrison on cusp of England Colleges FA Women's squad selection
Two AFC Sudbury Girls Academy players have made it through to the final stage of selection for the England Colleges FA (ECFA) Women’s squad.
First year Amber Provan and second year Ronni Harrison have both now learnt they sufficiently impressed the selectors at the Eastern Region trials, which took place ahead of the latest national Covid-19 lockdown.
They will both be looking to follow in the footsteps of former Boys’ Academy player and men’s first team player Freddie King, who last season became the first from the club to earn a cap for ECFA.
It follows on from the academy's good news about their first two female students signing US soccer scholarships in Paige Clemenson and Ellie Mitchell.
Centre-back Provan, who hails from Braintree, has been a key element in Sudbury's mean defensive record this season in their midweek college programme, playing every game in the unbeaten run before Christmas.
She also plays her weekend football for the AFC Sudbury Women's team, where she plays in a defensive midfield role in the Eastern Region Women's Football League.
Provan previously played club football at Braintree Town FC and was also a member of the Ipswich Town FC ACC before choosing to join Sudbury's academy at the beginning of this season.
Versatile player Harrison, from Colchester, joined the academy at the beginning of her U18 year from Barking Abbey and has been another mainstay in the Girls Academy’s recent fine run, mainly deployed in a defensive midfield role.
She plays her weekend football for the Charlton Athletic Women's Development team playing in the FA Women’s National Reserve league South Division.
The final selection stage for the women’s representative side had originally been due to take place at Loughborough College on Sunday. The ongoing uncertainty about the current lockdown ending means a new date is yet to be announced.
Darren Scoulding, the joint head of the AFC Sudbury Girls Academy, who attended the Eastern Region trials, said: “What was pleasing is they showed their personalities on the pitch which is what is needed to get noticed.
“In a week when we have announced 14 new players joining our academy for next season, this is a further feather in the cap for the AFC Sudbury Academy and proves what good players we have and the progress these girls, and indeed all of our squad, are making.”
AFC Sudbury Girls Academy still has a small number of places left for the 2021 intake. Anyone currently a girl in Year 11 or Year 12 who would like to find out more can complete the online registration form here.
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