September has seen Derby County’s Female Talent Pathway get back into action, with strong early-season performances across the age groups and plenty of opportunities for players to develop on and off the pitch.

The Under-16s enjoyed a winning end to pre-season, lifting the Forza Cup after a 1-0 victory over Forza in the final. The side went unbeaten throughout the tournament, which also featured Gateshead and AFC Fylde, setting them up nicely for the new season.

The U15s have made an encouraging start to the new campaign, picking up two wins and a draw from their opening three fixtures ahead of their league season. They scored 15 goals across the three games, including five in a standout 5-0 home victory over Doncaster Belles.

There were plenty more goals in last weekend’s action, with one of our U16 sides recording an impressive 7-0 victory over Notts County in the Junior Premier League (JPL), while our other U16s team, competing in the JPL Warriors League, secured an emphatic 9-0 win against Pro Elite Academy. 

The U15s also continued their positive start with a 5-2 victory over East Yorkshire, while the U14s recorded a convincing 12-1 win over Stoke City.

Away from the match action, players from the U13s, U14s and U15s came together for a residential at the University of Derby. The group took part in a range of team-building activities designed to bring the players together, as well as welcoming a visit from the Army and taking part in activities with them. The residential then concluded with a number of fixtures, giving the players the chance to put their work from the week into practice.

The Foundation Phase has also been getting underway for the new campaign, with the U9s coming together as a new team and beginning their Young Elizabethan League campaign against teams from Nottingham. The other Foundation Phase sides have started their Derby Junior League campaigns, while players within the foundation phase also had the opportunity to test themselves against Birmingham City, providing a valuable challenge for our young players.

With the season now underway, there is plenty more to come from across the Female Talent Pathway as our players continue to develop throughout the campaign.

To find out more about Derby County’s Female Talent Pathway, visit derbycountycommunitytrust.com/what-we-do/female-talent-pathway/. For any further enquiries or to express your interest, email ftp@dcct.co.uk.