FOOTBALL: Blue is the colour for goal ace Holly (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

FOOTBALL: Blue is the colour for goal ace Holly

5:00pm Friday 13th July 2012 in Football By Dan Barnes

CHIPPENHAM teenager Holly Provis is hoping she’s on the cusp of launching a football career after earning a place in the Chelsea Ladies Football Academy.

The 16-year-old striker, who scored 42 goals last season as Forest Green Rovers U16s won their division in the Bristol Girls’ League and the Gloucestershire County Cup, had a successful trial at the west London club’s Cobham training ground in Surrey in April and will now spend two years with Chelsea.

Provis, of Ludlow Close in Pewsham, is set to leave home in September and will study a BTEC National Diploma in Sport at Merrist Wood College in Guildford while training and playing for the academy in the British Colleges League.

The youngster, who began playing for FC Chippenham Youth, said: “It’s all a bit daunting but I am looking forward to it.

“Going for the trial was amazing. It was all really state of the art and we all saw Fernando Torres (Chelsea striker) driving out of the ground in his car, which was brilliant.

“They try to get you involved in the Chelsea Ladies reserve team during your two years if you’re good enough and if you impress, then you could sign a contract to play for them properly when you’re done. It’s going to be tough but that’s the aim.

“Moving away from home is going to be a different experience too but I’ll be staying in halls with the other Chelsea girls so it should be alright.”

At the end of last month, Provis helped fire her Forest Green Rovers side to national glory as they won the U16 girls title at FA National Youth Futsal Festival at the International Futsal Centre in Birmingham.

The teenager is also a keen follower of women’s football and attended the 2011 Champions League final at Craven Cottage to watch her favourite team Lyon lift the trophy for the first time.

Mum Sue admits that she wasn’t expecting herself and dad Steven to be packing their daughter’s bags at this stage but added: “We expected her to stay and do her A-Levels in Chippenham and then maybe go to university but this is a great opportunity and we told her that she should give it a go.”