Football-mad youngsters got the chance to enjoy a kickabout with one of England’s stars as Girls’ Football Week kicked off in style.

Pupils from five schools in the Bedford area showed off their skills at a special football festival at Bedford Modern School in the town.

And they were joined by England star Laura Bassett, who laced up her boots for a session with the girls, before posing for pictures and signing autographs with eager students.

Monday’s festival marked the start of Girls' Football Week, an annual initiative by the FA that aims to attract as many young female players as possible to join in with the beautiful game.

Girls’ Football Week aims to inspire girls across all levels of ability to play football and get active, with an added sprinkle of Disney magic and storytelling.

A variety of sessions led by FA qualified coaches will take place across the country and provide an introduction to the fundamentals of football, build key social skills and offer fun team-building exercises.

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And for a seasoned pro like Bassett, seeing the next generation of sporting stars at the session filled her with pride and encouragement.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the young girls,” said the 34-year-old defender. “When I was growing up, we didn’t really have many opportunities, but Girls’ Football Week offers a lot of chances to girls who haven’t played football before or even if they have.

“Just to come and get involved and listen to the stories is great and to improve their social skills and teamwork as well, it’s fantastic.

“Girls should get involved in Girls’ Football Week and football in general because it helps you to listen and communicate with team-mates. It keeps you fit and healthy and also gives you a lot of self-confidence.”

Bowled over by the experience were Bedford Modern Year 6 students Sophie Harrison and Jess Prior, who were delighted to get the chance to get stuck into the game they love with a female role model.

“It was really fun – I like football because it’s a team game and you get to play with each other,” said 10-year-old Sophie. “I like Girls Football Week because it gets girls involved in sport and I really want it to progress.”

Eleven-year-old Jess added: “My dad watches quite a lot of football so I’m used to sitting on the sofa and watching it with him. I started to enjoy it and I started playing it this year.

“I loved meeting Laura – she said she only started playing when she was seven or eight and that’s quite inspiring for us.”

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The session saw Disney-inspired exercises to mark the new partnership between English football’s governing body and the US entertainment giant.

But Monday was about getting the game back to grassroots level for the girls, with Bedford Modern having started football as a regular activity for its female students from September.

And headmaster Alex Tate was delighted with the opportunity his pupils and others got from the initiative.

“We want to give them the chance to learn the skills be part of such a growth sport but also for the wider community to also participate,” he said. “We’re really lucky to have the FA and Disney here to promote that.

“It makes an enormous contribution – I actually think that for the girls of this generation – the myth that football is a boys’ sport doesn’t exist.

“What Girls’ Football Week does is banish it for some of the older generation that might see it as a male sport. For the young girls participating here, that’s just not the case.”

Girls’ Football Week runs from 23-29 April 2018 and is supported by Disney. Sign up for free sessions at the TheFA.com/GirlsFootballWeek