A FORMER Bayside Girls footballer is celebrating after she won selection to represent her country for the first time.

Niamh Noble, together with fellow ex-Bayside players, Georgie Robb and Mya Bates, will travel with the Scotland under-15 squad for an international double-header in Wales next week.

The 14-year-old, a pupil at Inverkeithing High School, was told that she had been picked last week after impressing at a two-day training camp in Largs last month.

It was the second time that Niamh, 14, and Georgie had been invited to the training stint with the under-15 team, and the Glasgow City 15s National Performance team left back said her selection had still to properly sink in.

“I was quite shocked,” she said.

“I didn’t feel that I performed that well at camp, but I am proud and excited.

“I’m probably quite hard on myself, but I just make sure that I try and do the best that I can.

“The first game is on Monday, and then the second is on Wednesday, and we’re flying to Wales on Sunday.

“I will be nervous, but once I’ve had the first game, I think I will be fine.”

Niamh is the latest in a list of West Fife female footballers to have been picked for Scotland at various age groups, which includes former Bayside goalkeeper Alicia Yates, who now plays for Hibernian.

She has set her sights on going on to emulate their achievements and proud dad David, who is also Bayside’s head of girls’ football, commented: “You can see across the different age groups the competition there is to get in the squad; it’s very difficult.

“There are loads of great players in the East Region and in Fife, so she’s done really well.

“There’s a tremendous camaraderie among them all; she’s had lots of congratulations, and she really appreciates that.

“She’s got a really professional attitude to be a sportswoman, and goes away and analyses things.

“From the camp that she was picked from, she got feedback like they would do for the boys’ teams, and has a plan of areas she needs to work on, which is really good.”

Meanwhile, Bayside are preparing to enter a senior women’s side in the Scottish Women’s Football League (SWFL) Division Two from next season, and are looking for players.

The team will be based at Pitreavie and coached by Ross Wortley, and training is set to begin next month.

As well as seeking players – born in or before 2005 – the club are also looking for coaches or volunteers who may be interested in offering their assistance ahead of the new season beginning.

Anyone who is interested, or would like to find out more information, should contact Ross by calling 07469736502.