University of Worcester captains England Women's blind team

Alice Hopkins, 21, captained the women's B1 blind team which welcomed Sweden for a series of five-a-side matches on Good Friday.

The game finished 0-0, but for the creative writing and history student it was the culmination of months of hard work.

She said: “There are only seven players as we are slowly growing but to be playing at an international level is unreal.

“I cannot wait to see where the future takes me, I hope I can continue on to play for England as I love the sport.

“Although we are still not fully developed, we love wearing the England kit.

"As the team is still very new, captains are swapped around, but I got to captain the team for the last game and it was such a great experience.”

Alice captained the side in their final match of the day

Alice approached the University of Worcester Student’s Union last year to express an interest in football.

Chloe McLeod, chair of women’s football, said they had not worked with a visually impaired player before.

Working with captain Emma Collins, a sports coaching science pupil with a focus on disability sport, the team were able to create a training plan specifically designed for Alice.

Emma began coaching Alice each week just before Christmas, in view of the England Women’s trials after the turn of the year.

Emma said: “The development Alice has made since starting our sessions is amazing.

“She is now a more confident player on the ball and is constantly willing to learn, which is exactly what is desired in an athlete.

“Alice is a fantastic example of someone with a love of a sport who works hard for her success.

“England's new para-talent pathway is fantastic and has given many people the opportunity to compete at the highest level.

“We need to celebrate Alice’s achievements as an international B1 player so we can expose more people to para-football to ensure equal opportunities are given to all in our game.”

Alice Hopkins with her teammates, coaches, and the match officials

B1 football is open to completely or almost blind athletes.

Chairman Chloe said they will continue to support students with disabilities in the years to come.

“As a club, we pride ourselves on being inclusive and when the opportunity arose to work with Alice, we could not wait to see where this could go,” she said.

“This is something that I hope next year we can carry on a club and encourage other sports clubs and universities to do the same.”

Alice after the final match of the day, where she captained England to a 0-0 draw against Sweden