MILLIE Sanders has been called up by England to play in a European tournament next month.

The Bradshaw student will represent her country at under-17s at the Netball Europe tournament in Dublin from March 2-4.

The 16-year-old, 6ft former Turton High School pupil plays in the highest club netball league in the country, the Mizuno National Premier One for Tameside Ladies, as well as representing Manchester Thunder at u19s and u21s.

Her progress has brought with it many travel and time commitments as she trains almost daily and plays all over the country.

She has to juggle her BTEC level three in sport and fitness studies at Bury College with training three times a week, doing strength and conditioning sessions four times a week and playing matches on Saturdays and Sundays.

The tough training programme is necessary to compete at the highest level in a physically demanding and relentless sport which is booming in the UK with the Netball Superleague set to be featured regularly on Sky Sports this season.

Her hard work paid off last year when she helped Tameside U16s win the National Club championships in Essex in April and was selected for the England National Academy in August which entails attending training camp in Loughborough every four weeks.

The Bradshaw teenager, who went to St Maxentius Primary School and was appointed sports captain in her final year at Turton, was one of 12 of the 16 members of the Academy to be selected – along with a number of elite athletes – for the England Roses squad to play in the Netball Europe tournament in Dublin against Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland when she will gain her first international cap.

Her ambition is to break into the Manchester Thunder Superleague team, one of the country's leading clubs, retain her England position as she advances up the age groups and ultimately play for the senior England team.