The Big Cats of Longleat are roaring their support for the search to find future England Lionesses from the talented young female footballers in Wiltshire.

Already famous for lions, Wiltshire is now seeking to be famous for lionesses as Wiltshire FA look for future England stars from the thousands of young women now playing football in the county.

A talent identification day on 5 April will see around 140 young hopefuls put through their paces – with the prospect that some will be identified for support through the Discover My Talent initiative from The FA.

That event at the HQ of Wiltshire FA in Devizes is a few miles from the lionesses – and lions – of Longleat.

Simon Russell, CEO at Wiltshire FA said, “It’s exciting to see if the pride of Wiltshire has what it takes to progress to the highest levels in the national game.

“Having the Big Cats of Longleat support this call to action is great.

“It’s an exciting time for the women’s game. The Lionesses have changed the football landscape by inspiring so many women and girls to get involved.

“We are here for everyone in the county who has a connection with our sport from grassroots football to the elite performers on the national and international stage.”

England’s victory in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 created huge interest and has generated considered momentum. Wiltshire FA, working with The FA and other partners is supporting the increasing female participation and supporting the development of women as players, coaches, match officials, and more besides.

Under head coach, Sarina Wiegman, the Lionesses demonstrated how their fierce competitiveness allied with teamwork can deliver success. 

Amy Waller, Safari Team Manager at Longleat said: “Generally, in the wild it is the females who do most of the hunting and they are significantly faster and more flexible than the males, reaching speeds of 45mph. They are focused on their collective goals, brave, and always nurturing future generations, much like the England Lionesses.

“It’s important our lionesses are fit and healthy we encourage them to hunt for their food on the park and we use a mobile wagon which the lions have to follow to get their meals.

“Playing football is a great way of staying fit and our message to the talented footballers starting out is, just like our Big Cats, be fearless, powerful, and proud.

“I was there when the Lionesses won the European Cup in 2022 and it was an incredible occasion, so it has been interesting to learn more about the pathway to the national team.

“We’re excited to follow your progress and we’ll be roaring you on!”

Simon added, “We want players in Wiltshire to fulfil their potential, whether that means a place in the Talent Pathway or getting most from the game at any level.