Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
John Jones

Ten-year-old schoolgirl scores incredible 143 goals for her football team in a single season

A 10-year-old schoolgirl has put the likes of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Paul Mullin to shame with an astonishing goal-scoring record that has seen her net 143 times in a single season.

Amelia Morris unsurprisingly finished as top scorer for her team, Gurnos FC in Merthyr Tydfil, this season and even had to be taken off midway through most games she played to give other teams a chance, such was her prowess in front of goal.

Incredibly, her sporting talents don't stop there, as she is also a four-time gold medallist in kickboxing, having started out at the age of five before going on to represent Wales at the World Championships.

READ MORE: Being Rocco, Wales' smallest superfan whose adorable videos made him an overnight celebrity

According to her proud dad (and coach) Jamie, Amelia started kickboxing when she was just five years old before taking up football a few years later.

"Ever since she was born she's always had a ball in her hand or kicking it," he said. "But on the Gurnos we didn't have any football teams for girls of that age, so she was about eight when she started.

"Amelia's been playing for the under-10s this season. We've played all over south Wales and beaten pretty much every team and she's just been incredible. At the start, she was averaging about 10 goals every weekend, but we had to bring her off halfway through the games because it was too easy for us.

"At that age you want everyone to be having fun more than anything and it's not that fun if you're getting beaten by a lot - so we had to go easy on them by giving her a bit of a break! If we hadn't taken her off she would have been on even more goals by the end of the season."

Amelia only took up football a few years ago but is already an accomplished goal scorer (Jamie Morris)
Amelia after scoring her 100th goal of the season (Jamie Morris)
She also won four gold medals at the World Kickboxing Championships in Cardiff last year (Jamie Morris)

Amelia's fine form in front of goal has already been rewarded with a place in the South Wales Development Squad, who she played for last season, while she has now been invited to go on trial for Caerphilly Schools later this month.

And the multi-talented youngster - who idolises Welsh boxer and former Wales footballer Lauren Price - is just as prolific when it comes to kickboxing, having won four gold medals at last year's World Kickboxing and Karate Union (WKU) World Championships, which were held in Cardiff for the first time.

"Amelia had her first fight in a ring about two years ago," said Jamie. "And then her coach put her forward for the World Championships, as Wales wanted to have a big squad as the home nation. She was fighting at under-25kg but the nearest competition class to that in Wales is under-40kg, so she was smaller than everyone but it didn't faze her and she went in there and did really, really well."

"We're all so proud of her," he added. "She's only young but is doing so well. The Gurnos doesn't get the best publicity so it's great for Amelia to get the recognition she has got for her achievements and hopefully she will inspire other kids from around here too."

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.