Millfield footballer heading to Loughborough University

From Millfield to another establishment synonymous with sport, Upper Sixth Footballer Millie Quaintance will join Loughborough University in September to study Sports Science as an elite athlete in football and javelin combined.

Millie started boarding at Millfield in Year 9 to continue her footballing career which has been instilled in Millie from a young age. She was scouted to play for Reading Girls’ Football academy at the age of 9 and has played for Yeovil United Academy, Berkshire County, Somerset County and Somerset Advanced Coaching Centre, as well as being selected for the English Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) where she played for the U18s at the age of 16. Millie continues to be inspired by her coach during her time at Reading Academy, Fran Kirby, who now plays for Chelsea and England.

Being the only girl to have played the sport from Year 9 through to Upper Sixth, Millie has become a pivotal figure in girls’ football, helping support and encourage young players enjoy the game through her role as Millfield’s Girls’ Football representative. Girls’ football had just one training session per week when she started and the sport now boasts four girls’ football teams and nine exclusive girls’ football training sessions per week.

Millie says, “It’s important to me that Millfield and other schools establish girls football because its such a fast growing game in the world, the media coverage is growing and more players are being recognised… I strongly believe that girls football should be equal to boys football.”

Millfield’s Girls’ Football provision is ever-growing and now sees over 75 young footballers enjoy the sport. The game has a dedicated coach, Dani Rodriguez, who focuses on increasing opportunities and progression for the young athletes. With the ultimate goal to offer the best football opportunities for our students, Millfield aims to build up strong relationships with clubs and academies, not just in the South West (Millfield players currently play for Bristol City and Yeovil United) but all around the country. In 2019, Millfield 1st Team Girls reached the semi-final of the English Schools Football Association (ESFA) for the first time. The last 16s fixture and quarter finals of which were played on hometurf on the Sir Gareth Edward’s Pitch in front of a crowd of supporters.

Head of Girls’ Football, Dani Rodriguez, says, “Millie is a fantastic example of someone whose love for the game is infectious to others. She has been a crucial part in the development of Millfield’s Girls’ Football provision, a sport which is ever-popular with female players joining the school from local academies and beyond. We look forward to following Millie’s football career and look forward to her legacy remaining in the younger, female footballers she has inspired.”