For Ruby Strutt, football has been a constant throughout her life. Having joined Derby County Community Trust’s Female Talent Pathway at just 10 years old, the 18-year-old has spent the last eight years developing as a player while growing in confidence away from the pitch.

Ruby’s football journey began at primary school, where she played alongside boys before joining Wirksworth Colts Girls at the age of nine. A year later, the opportunity to trial for Derby came through her grassroots coach.

“One of my coaches from my grassroots team invited us all to trials, so she signed us all up,” Ruby said.

Ruby successfully made the move to Derby, joining the pathway at Under-12s level, and has remained within the programme ever since. After progressing through the age groups, she spent last season with the Under-21s before taking the next step in her development with a loan move to Sheffield FC for the 2026/27 campaign. 

For Ruby, her time in the Female Talent Pathway has been about more than developing her football. Looking back on how far she has come, she believes it has helped her both on and off the pitch.

She said: “I think I’ve just become a more confident person on and off the pitch.”

That change has been particularly noticeable in Ruby’s personality. She describes herself as having once been reserved and anxious away from football, but says the environment she has experienced through the FTP has helped her come out of her shell.

“I used to be quite reserved and anxious off the pitch, but I’d say since joining the FTP, I’m the complete opposite. I’m quite bubbly, I like to talk to everyone.”

The friendships she has built along the way have been an important part of that. With the players in the pathway spending so much time together, including through the Trust’s Football and Education College Programme, Ruby feels the group has developed into a close-knit community.

She explained: “It’s like a community. It’s become like a second family.”

For Ruby, those relationships have extended beyond football too, giving her a strong support network and friendships that have become an important part of her life.

Her footballing development has continued alongside that personal growth. One of the standout moments of last season came when the Under-21s reached the Derbyshire FA Women’s County Cup final against Chesterfield, an experience Ruby still remembers despite the result.

Now on loan at Sheffield FC, Ruby is experiencing another new challenge and is continuing to build on the confidence she has developed during her time in the pathway. She believes playing in a different environment is helping her become a stronger and more vocal player.

“I think it’s pushed me to be more confident. It’s given me the challenge of being a more vocal, stronger player,” she said.

As Ruby looks ahead to the next stage of her footballing journey, the Female Talent Pathway has given her years of experience, friendships and opportunities to develop. But perhaps one of the biggest changes has been the person she has become along the way.

And for any girls considering joining the pathway themselves, Ruby’s advice is simple: “Just go for it. You’ve got nothing to lose.”