Friday 10 November 2017 07:25, UK
Rachel Yankey has offered her support to the FA Girls’ Football Week initiative and believes England’s Women's success is inspiring the next generation of players.
England Women came third at the 2015 World Cup before reaching the semi-final of this year's European Championships in France.
Yankey, who was awarded an OBE for services to football in the 2014 New Year Honours List and won 129 England caps during her playing career, is delighted to see girls getting greater opportunities to play football and improve their skills and admitted that "was frowned upon" when she was growing up.
"This never happened when I was at school and I think it is a brilliant initiative by the FA, to come into schools and have girls-only sessions, as well as mixed sessions, to get the girls really confident," she told Sky Sports News at an FA Lidl Skills session.
"They have role models in the England team and the WSL that they can aspire to.
"It was frowned upon that girls played football when I was young, so to see these girls coming out here so confidently, dribbling and using the ball, I think that's fantastic and how things should be."
As for the national team, Yankey believes they should defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kazakhstan in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers but knows nothing is certain in international football.
"On paper, they should win those two games quite comfortably," she added. "Obviously, you still need to go out there and perform.
"It's a challenge the girls will relish to hopefully put a marker down and get a big win.
"We need to qualify for that World Cup, get to France and then be confident when we are there."
Former Everton Ladies manager and player Mo Marley has taken over on a temporary basis in the wake of Mark Sampson's sacking but Yankey does not think that will have an adverse effect on their qualification campaign.
"I don't think that will affect them too much," she said. "They're all professional and at the end of the day, you are not playing for the manager, you are playing for your shirt and to represent your country.
"You are playing to make sure you are picked in the next squad."
For more information on FA Girls' Football Week, including where to find sessions in your local area, go to the FA's official website. FA Girls' Football Week runs from November 6-12.
