She has always dreamed of playing football for her country and next month Charlton Athletic Women's football captain and England international Casey Stoney is going to get the chance to win the European Cup on home soil. HEATHER RAMSDEN found out how this remarkable young woman has risen to the challenge in the world of women's football

The 22-year-old, who has lived her life for football, will be part of the Euro 2005 England squad which will take on Finland in its opening match in Manchester, on June 5.

But how did Casey get into the sport many regard as a man's domain?

She said: "When I was a child, I lived in a cul de sac where there were only two girls and the rest of the kids were boys. So from a very young age I knew how to kick a ball around."

Then after moving to Surrey, Casey joined a boys' team but when she turned 12, she could no longer play in a boys' team. But this did not sway her from her sport and she was eventually approached to play for Chelsea.

Later she joined Arsenal and in her time there won the FA cup, the League Cup and The League.

It means Casey has won all there is to win nationally in the women's game and she describes the treble at Arsenal as "the highest point in my life".

But even though she has in a sense "won it all", the young footballer is still very excited about the future.

She said: "Women's football is the fastest growing sport in the country and this just shows the direction it is going in, even though there are still people out there who have old-fashioned opinions about women belonging in the kitchen.

"I suppose you get that in all jobs, but I just deal with it by pushing myself to work harder and do better.

Casey says she has always dreamed of playing for her country and believes her dream was only realised because of what she has put into it.

"For a dream to come true you have to put the hard work in. I think you get out of it what you put into it."

She says much praise for the popularity of women's football is owed to the Football Association which gives them its full backing and support.

And the footballer says the European Championships being held in England can only mean more good things for the women's game with all games being shown on terrestrial TV and England having "more than a decent chance to do well".

But as Euro 2005 looms, Casey admits she has had her fair share of obstacles to deal with along the way, not least of all injury problems.

Recently a knee injury made her seek out the services of Croydon sports injury specialist Tim Allardyce.

Based at Addington Palace, Tim is an osteopath and physio who works with elite sportsmen to achieve the elusive extra five per cent of fitness. He has been helping get Casey to her peak.

He said: "It's not the usual sort of physical training. I finely tune elite athletes and I am sharpening her up for the championships. Part of it is what I call prehabilitation which involves neurological training and strengthening to help stop injury happening. She came to me with a knee ligament strain which was not clearing up. We fixed it in four sessions and I am now working with her twice a week to make her stronger, fitter, faster and more functional.

"And it shows in her game because Casey is a defender, not normally a goal scorer, but she has been finding the back of the net quite a bit lately."

Casey's sessions with Tim are only a small part of her busy routine though.

She also works as a personal trainer and on a typical days she is up at 5am, works from 6am to 2pm taking clients and doing aerobic sessions, she then has to prepare food, eat and relax after which she trains from 8pm to 10pm. She is home by 11pm and in bed by 12pm.

"Basically my life centres around football," she laughs.

It does mean she does not get the opportunity to go out much but she accepts it comes with the territory and she knows she has to make sacrifices.

"I do go out with my mates on my days off, which are Saturdays, but I can't really drink because I usually have games on Sundays."

"It is nice though, to get away from football and have different types of conversations with people," she agrees.

And, knowing that her football career will not last a lifetime, Casey has already begun considering a career in the police force one day.

But she stresses the short lifespan of a football career should not detract girls from getting involved in the sport. "I think girls should go for it because it is a fun game, it will certainly keep them off the streets and it will give them a sense of achievement.

"You will make many friends and you can be successful. There is nothing better than picking up the FA Cup."

Contact Tim on 020 8662 5050 or visit thesportsinjuryclinic.com