It has been a special season for the Sanders family, with not one but two athletes achieving success at a high level.

Jack Sanders was part of the Kilmarnock squad that won the Scottish Championship and clinched promotion to the top-flight.

Meanwhile, sister Millie Sanders helped Manchester Thunder overcome Loughborough Lightning in the Netball Super League Grand Final in London.

Both are former pupils at Turton High School and mother Jill Sanders couldn’t be prouder of what they have achieved.

She said: “There have been lots of challenges along the way but you have to ride the highs and the lows don’t you?

“Both are excelling and their achievements are amazing. The school has always supported them.

“Millie’s game was televised. She played two quarters and played the game of her life.

“I had PE teachers messaging me and within an hour it was on their Twitter page. The school also has their shirts up on the wall.”

Dad Graham Sanders added: “We have always supported them at any age and any level. To watch your kids playing sport is just fantastic. They have developed, they have earned some good accolades and progressed.

“We travel, we stay over. The biggest problem we have is when Millie is heading south and Jack is obviously in the north. We can’t be in two places at one time but we always work it out.

“We fully support them as much as we can and they support each other too.”

Jack came through the ranks at Wigan Athletic and headed north of the border to sign for Kilmarnock last summer.

He made 20 appearances last season as Killie finished top of the Scottish Championship and booked their place in the top-flight next season.

The 23-year-old is delighted that their hard work has paid off and is relishing the prospect of playing against the likes of Celtic and Rangers next season.

“It is an incredible feeling. The aim at the start of the season was to get into the Premiership and that is what we achieved,” he said.

“We did it in dramatic fashion – we won the last home game of the season against Arbroath with a 90th-minute goal.

“I am just looking forward now to going to Celtic and Rangers and seeing the atmosphere over there.

“My journey is quite different to other lads who have come through academy routes. But it just goes to show there are different routes to professional football and you can achieve what you want with hard work and dedication.

“Obviously, the work isn’t done yet. I still need to keep going and improving.”

It has also been a successful few months for Millie, who was named in the England Future Roses Programme in addition to her Superleague Grand Final victory with Manchester Thunder.

The programme aims to help young players as they continue their development and only 16 were chosen in total.

The 20-year-old admits it was “surreal” to make the cut and is delighted to have played a part in the Grand Final at the Copper Box Arena.

She said: “I wasn’t in the squad last year so when I got called up, I was so shocked and pleased. It was like a dream come true.

“For us to go 22 games unbeaten and to be a part of it, it has just been so surreal.

“I had a knee injury back in 2019 which definitely set me back. I was away with England in New Zealand and did it the morning before the first game. When you get highs like this, it just makes it all worth it.

“Initially I wasn’t going to apply for (the Future Roses Programme) because I didn’t think I was going to get it.

“I didn’t even know when the squad was picked, it is just that my friend had messaged me. That was so surreal as well.”

Despite being playing very different sports, Jack and Millie regularly trained together during the lockdown and were able to help each other improve.

“My brother lives in Scotland so I don’t get to see him that much but during lockdown we were training together, going on runs and doing weights,” added Millie.

“As you can imagine it gets very competitive, there is never just a simple game in our family. But we pushed each other and I guess that competitive aspect made it a lot more fun.”