A Cambuslang footballer has been tipped for the top after being capped for Scotland – and her mum has revealed she’s so dedicated she even plays in her sleep.
Sophia Martin, 13, is part of Paul Brownlie’s under-16s squad, which is taking part in a development tournament that saw them play against Malta last Friday, Azerbaijan on Sunday, and ends in a clash with Gibraltar today.
And her mum Natalie, who is currently out in Malta with her, told the Reformer: “Sophia’s dedication is incredible.
“If she’s not playing for a team she’s out kicking a ball and I’m convinced she plays in her sleep – I’ve heard her shouting!
“Sophia is buzzing, she thinks she has made it. She started aged nine and she has really taken to it,”
Sophia is following in the footsteps of her older brother Josh Hall, who signed pro-youth for Motherwell, but mum Natalie reckons her ‘baby girl’ has what it takes to reach the top of the game.
Natalie added: “She’s excited, but she’s taking it all in her stride – she doesn’t know how big a deal this is, she thinks it’s just football and she wants to watch it and play it, but this is an international call-up.
“Her dedication could take her all the way, and all of her coaches say she has all the ability and talent in the world. If she stays injury-free she could have the world at her feet.
“She can definitely reach the very top, if that’s the route she wants to take.”
Sophia took up the sport four years ago, but currently plays for four teams, including Rutherglen Glencairn and Hamilton Accies Women, where she won Goal of the Season last term.
Natalie can’t believe the whirlwind of events.
She added: “Sophia’s doing very well. She was called up for the under-15s and 16s now, and she only turned 13 on January 28.
“Everything has happened really fast. She started four years ago because a charity called Moving the Goalposts visited her school. A guy called Tony Andrews brought a built-up cage, Sophie went along and he said she had some talent, that she was skinning all the boys
“She won Goal of the Season, got a call-up to a Scotland under-15 camp, and we were shocked – she was only 12 at the time, and she was nervous because everybody else was older, but she’s done really well.”
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