National selectors to cast eye over Wray

YOUNG star Izzy Wray has beaten off hundreds of hopefuls to be selected for the West of England Under-15 team. The Ladies' College GCSE student will join the 18-strong female squad for a series of matches in the build up to the national tournament, where she will compete against teams from the north, south, east, and midlands.

The 15-year-old had to get through several training days and matches before she was eventually told she had made the squad.

'I'm really happy about it and wasn't expecting to be selected at all,' she said.

'I went to five or six selection days and then there was a tournament in Bath with 20 people playing, then they made the selection.'

The squad is made up of 16 outfield players and two goalkeepers.

'The first selection was from the regional teams so I went with the Channel Islands team. The standard is much higher than here so I found it much harder to play in.'

She said the whole process had already made her a better player.

'I think I've improved since all the trials because I have been playing with really good players, which helps you raise your game. I think the selection process has improved me.'

Wray said she did not expect to get through the first round of trials.

'I was shocked when I was originally selected but as the process went on I could not really tell if I was going to make it or not because everyone seemed to be a similar standard.'

As the selection day progressed she started to feel more at ease with the standard of the players around her.

'In the latter stages especially, everyone was so good. I just tried to play as well as I could.'

The team will compete in a series of warm-up matches in preparation for the half-term tournament.

Wray will have the opportunity to impress the selectors for the full national side but she insisted she is just focusing on playing as well as she can.

'There will be England selectors there who will be picking people for trials,' said the defensive midfielder.

'I probably won't be selected but I just want to play well in the tournament.

'I'm just going to try really hard and train a lot up to this tournament and see how it goes. I'm doing my GCSEs this year so I have to make sure I do all my coursework as well as hockey training.

'I would love to play for England's full team one day but I think that's quite unlikely. I'll just keep trying my hardest.'

Becky Hubbard, the island's hockey development officer, said it was a fantastic achievement by Wray to be selected.

'She has got through hundreds of girls to get down to the final squad and it's brilliant,' she said.

'To get selected from such a small island is a fantastic achievement.

'She will now have the opportunity to be seen by the England selectors as well, which is great for her.

'I think she has an excellent chance. She has the drive and determination to do it.

'She also has the support of her family, which is very important. There is no reason why she cannot continue to progress onto the full team.'

She said Wray's selection reflected well on the standard of hockey in the island.

'It's great for Izzy but it's also great for the other girls who play hockey because they see her and see how far she has gone.

'She can act as a role model for all the other players and they can see how far they can go if they work hard.'