Local Heroes: Lothians kids are set to play a major role for Scotland

Alyshia Walker will spearhead a Scottish Schools under-15 select team alongside fellow Lothians football starlets Lizzie Arnot, Jennifer Currie, Kayleigh McConnell and Christie Kerr for next month's series of home nations internationals.

Striker Walker, of Bathgate Academy and Fauldhouse Foxes, says it will be "amazing" to pull on the navy blue alongside fellow West Lothian girls McConnell and Kerr, while Lizzie Arnot of Forrester High School captains the side and Jennifer Currie of Preston Lodge vies for the No.?1 jersey.

"With me being a striker, I'd like to score and to play to the best of my ability," says Walker, 12 of Blackburn, West Lothian. "It will be amazing to pull on a Scotland shirt."

Walker is understood to be the only female player in the male-dominated Lothians youth leagues but has netted nearly 50 times this season and recently, as reported in the Evening News, ran the opposition defence ragged as her Fauldhouse club beat city side Tynecastle en route to the last four of the Scottish Cup. Her talent has not gone unnoticed by the country's top girls' sides but she has eschewed their advances, preferring the more challenging rough-and-tumble of boys' football.

"I've had trials with Hibs, which was good, and they wanted me but I didn't go," she says. "I'm more comfortable playing with boys. It's easier with girls and they aren't as physical - you can push them off the ball more easily. With the boys it's more physical, and I get a lot of grief!"

Billy Henderson, the coach of the national girls under-15 team, says that Alyshia was an obvious pick for her country after a stunning display for South East in a nationwide competition staged to determine a regional champion.

"I think she'll be a big factor in the team," says Henderson. "Even though she's just a 12-year-old going on 13, her impact was massive in the (under-15] trial games."

Lizzie Arnot is the Capital star who will skipper Scotland against Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic or Ireland in the Bob Docherty tournament in Cardiff at Easter, before leading out the team in an historic first-ever under-15 Girls international against England in Glasgow on April 23. Bob Wilson, in charge of football at Forrester High School, says Arnot is an exemplary player in the mould of former Hearts midfielder Colin Cameron. "Lizzie is just fantastic," says Wilson. "Her commitment in school is brilliant. She reminds me of 'Mickey' Cameron - a midfield dynamo who has a brain as well."

Jennifer Currie will compete for a place between the posts in the national team, but her mere inclusion in the squad has staff at Preston Lodge High School bursting with pride.Head teacher Gavin Clark said: "We're very proud of her achievement."

The Lothians quintet is completed by defender Christie Kerr, of West Calder High, and Kayleigh McConnell of Deans Community High.

Squad: Lizzie Arnot (Forrester HS), Corri Cairns (Falkirk HS), Haylie Crosbie (St. Joseph's, Dumfries), Jennifer Currie (Preston Lodge HS), Katie Flannigan (St Benedict's, Linwood), Lucy Graham (St Columba's, Dunfermline), Lois Heuchan (Castle Douglas HS), Carla Jackson (Dalziel HS, Motherwell), Christie Kerr (West Calder HS), Chloe Logan (Port Glasgow HS), Lauren MacKenzie (Hawick HS), Kayleigh McConnell (Deans Community HS), Holly Napier (Carnoustie HS), Carly Noble (Hawick HS), Georgie Rafferty (St Maurice's HS, Cumbernauld), Alyshia Walker (Bathgate Academy), Courtney Whyte (St. Roch's, Glasgow), Cara Wilkie (Abronhill HS, Cumbernauld).