BEING deaf is a disability that has not hindered the outstanding progress of Isle of Wight footballer Lucy Scholes, who has given herself a golden opportunity to join the England team to play in the Deaf Women’s World Cup in Malaysia.

Lucy, who represented Team Isle of Wight's ladies' football team at the Island Games in Gotland in 2017, has been selected for England's final training squad ahead of the tournament in Kuala Lumpur in September.

The Wight Eagles player, from Wootton, and sponsored by Wightlink, saw that trials for the Deaf Women's World Cup were underway and decided to give it a go.

Lucy, who combines her love of football with her day job as an instructor at BAE Systems in Portsmouth, said: “It is an amazing opportunity to play for England.

“The team members are friendly and very talented, so to be selected for the final training squad is a privilege.

"It’s very exciting and it has been a great help getting my frequent travel to the mainland through Wightlink.”

She is now looking for other sponsors to help her on her self-funded journey. 

Wightlink's commercial director, Phil Delaney, said: “The ferry company is delighted to support Lucy in her bid to get to the Deaf Women’s World Cup. We wish her all the best and here’s hoping she scores the winning goal.” 

A spokesperson for the England Deaf Women’s Football Team, added: “We are delighted Lucy has been selected for our training squad,. She has been a fantastic and exciting addition. 

“Lucy deserves as much support as possible to continue her journey with us as she prepares for the final squad selection later this month.”