YOUNG Bromsgrove hockey player Esme Gibson has been selected for the England under-16 squad.

The 15-year-old was picked during the Futures Cup, England Hockey’s player pathway for under-16 and under-18 girls and boys.

Young players were selected from Regional Performance Centres to play in four representative teams (72 in total) at the Futures Cup.

The tournament provides a challenging competition environment that supports player development allowing the players to develop their skills under pressure.

Teams from England, Scotland and Wales compete to be crowned the Future Cup winners.

Training with the England squad will commence on November 12 and will be held at clubs across the country.

Having played hockey since she was five, Gibson talked about her love of the sport, saying: “It is fun, keeps you fit and I have made lots of friends."

Ben Dudley, director of hockey at Bromsgrove School, said: “We are all incredibly proud of Esme’s achievement at being selected for the England training squad. She has put a huge amount of time, effort and energy into improving her game and I am delighted it has all paid off.”