Girls have been welcomed into a football academy.

The Leigh Academy and Dartford Football Club have teamed up to create a course which marries academic study with football.

While it was immediately popular with the boys after it was launched last year, this academic year welcomed the first influx of 26 female players.

The girls were all already associated with football teams, including Dartford, but grabbed the chance to play as part of their education.

They are trained by qualified FA coaches and have the chance to represent the club at levels between Youth Conference Alliance League and the new SCL League with the possibility of progressing into the first team or higher.

Many said they had ambitions to go professional and aimed to move to America where the sport is much bigger for women. They will try to get a scholarship to a university out there with their football skills.

Some travel in each day from Gravesend, Medway and Maidstone to be a part of the scheme.

But education is not allowed to fall by the wayside. Academy principal Sharon Waterman said she worked closely with the club, so if pupils were not putting in the effort with their chosen subjects, they wouldn’t get to play.

The aim, she said, was to create well-rounded individuals who have broad options for the future, whether they choose to go into football professionally, to university, or employment.

To be accepted pupils must have five or more GCSEs grade A-C including maths and English and must also complete a trial at Dartford Football Club.

They choose three subjects to study alongside the football and they range from science and maths, to film, media and design.