Girls in West Devon are being inspired by the success of the Women’s Euros with players learning that the sky’s the limit to what they can achieve.

Players and parents say the game and the high profile given to the national game has boosted the confidence of youngsters who have taken up the sport recently.

The game has strong roots and the future looks good because of the thriving girls’ game, both in casual and formal club form.

Examples include the success of the Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School girls team which has won the Plymouth Argyle FC Girls Knockout Cup against much bigger city schools who have played 30 matches unbeaten and without conceding a goal. The ‘Blueberries’ coach even used one of the Euros matches to teach them a lesson in training for the cup.

Coach and Headteacher John Clarke said: ‘The Horrabridge girls have been inspired by the success of the England Women’s Team currently and have analysed at how they have been successful in their matches and used this to improve their own play.

‘The girls are certainly very switched onto the Euros and know what’s going on, who’s playing, the scores and the fixtures. Therefore, I used the game England won against Spain as a defensive learning point when the Spanish allowed us to score by backing off. I made it clear they shouldn’t do that.’

Naomi Hill, 11, the Blueberries’ top scorer said: ‘It’s been really great to do so well at the same time the lionesses are playing in the women’s euros. We all hope that they will win the euros, like we’ve just won the knockout Cup!

The game is also credited with benefits beyond the purely sporting and physical and this is noticed by parents and coaches.

On a more sociable level youngsters are taking to the pitch in large numbers with a group called Girls do Football attracting at least 30 players once a week for a knock-about with coaches in Tavistock, while women and girls in the Callington area are being invited to give football a go at free training sessions for the town’s ladies football club on Wednesdays.

Parent Natasha Griffiths helps at Girls Do Football and takes her two daughters Daisy, 11, and Elsie, x,. Natasha said: ‘The girls are certainly interested in the women’s Euros, especially now they’re doing so well.

‘The England team are excellent role models with their professionalism and it shows how much our girls from the sessions can learn and perhaps achieve as much. The girls get so much from the game such as teamwork, behaviour, confidence, respect for each other and social skills - all the things the England women display so well on and off the pitch.

‘For instance, my daughter was really anxious about going to Tavistock College for the first time from her primary. But she knew so many older girls from the football who all looked after her and talked to her. All credit to them. They’re certainly great ambassadors for the sport and now she looks forward to school.’