simpered.
Marshall held up a hand. ‘This is all about the kids,’ he said. ‘And their outstanding coach, of course. I’d rather not, thanks.’
The presenter’s face wrinkled with disappointment. Her make-up was like an orange mask and her hair was impossibly perfect. ‘Well, then,’ she said. ‘We’d like to interview the star of the match. The hat-trick heroine we’re calling her.’ She pointed her finger at Ebony. ‘We’ve got some terrific footage of your goals, so come and tell us how you did it.’
They all watched, as Maggie Burnside took a nervous Ebony to one side. ‘How does it feel to be the star of such a successful team?’ she asked.
Ebony blushed. ‘Oh, well, I’m not the star ,’ she said. ‘Honestly.’
‘You looked like a star to me. You scored a hat-trick.’
‘I mean . . . it wasn’t just me . . . it was everyone . . .’
‘You’re too modest. You’re the one who scored the goals. And you’re playing in a big tournament soon, I hear. I expect you’ll score lots of goals there too.’
Ebony shuffled her feet and looked embarrassed. ‘I hope so,’ she said. ‘But I might not be in the team. There’s lots of really good players at our school.’
But the TV presenter wasn’t really listening.
‘I’m sorry, everyone,’ Ebony said, as the TV crew walked away. ‘I didn’t know what to say.’
‘You did fine,’ said Mr Wood. ‘Couldn’t have been better. Hello, Phil. I didn’t see you arrive.’
They all turned to look at the newcomer. Phil, the Wanderers Academy coach, often watched youth football matches, looking for talented young players. ‘Terrific performance, everyone,’ he said. ‘As good as I’ve seen. You keep discovering new players, Johnny,’ he continued, with a glance at Rob. ‘I knew this lad was a tactical genius, but I didn’t know he actually played football.’
‘I didn’t before,’ said Rob. ‘I mean, before Mr Wood came back.’
Phil nodded. ‘Well, that was a really great team performance,’ he said. ‘It was a pleasure to watch.’
On the minibus on the way back to school the team discussed Phil’s comments excitedly. ‘Maybe we’ll all play for Wanderers one day,’ said Rafi.
‘I won’t,’ said Ebony.
‘Me neither,’ said Leila, ‘and Tulsi won’t either.’
‘Don’t be so sure,’ Mr Wood called from the front seat. ‘Marshall tells me that Wanderers are thinking about a Ladies Team, and they’re planning a Girls’ Academy too. So don’t give up hope just yet.’
TJ had only just finished his lunch that same afternoon when there was a knock on the door. His sister Lou answered it and came back into the room with Jamie, Rafi and Rob behind her. ‘Any more coming in?’ asked TJ’s dad, peering round Jamie to see.
‘We just wanted to talk to TJ,’ Jamie said, with an envious look at the bowl of tropical fruit salad in the middle of the table. TJ’s mum saw where he was looking. ‘You still have an appetite then, Jamie,’ she laughed. ‘Go on, boys. Have some if you like. We’ve finished.’
The boys tucked in gratefully. ‘What’s all this about then?’ asked TJ’s dad.
‘It’s Tulsi,’ said Jamie. ‘We have to get her back in the team but it seems almost like she’s not interested any more. She’s even started talking about giving up football.’
‘So we’re going to tell her about the Girls’ Academy,’ Rob said. ‘They might be starting one at Wanderers.’
‘I can’t believe Tulsi would want to give up football,’ said TJ’s mum. ‘She was the keenest of all of you.’
‘But it’s true,’ said TJ. ‘And it must be strange if you’re a girl and you love playing football but you know you won’t ever be able to play in the Champions League like Marshall does. Like we might one day.’
‘Hey,’ said TJ’s mum. ‘That’s a very long speech, TJ. But you’re right. It must be tough for Tulsi.’
‘There
is
a women’s World Cup,’ said Lou.
Marshall held up a hand. ‘This is all about the kids,’ he said. ‘And their outstanding coach, of course. I’d rather not, thanks.’
The presenter’s face wrinkled with disappointment. Her make-up was like an orange mask and her hair was impossibly perfect. ‘Well, then,’ she said. ‘We’d like to interview the star of the match. The hat-trick heroine we’re calling her.’ She pointed her finger at Ebony. ‘We’ve got some terrific footage of your goals, so come and tell us how you did it.’
They all watched, as Maggie Burnside took a nervous Ebony to one side. ‘How does it feel to be the star of such a successful team?’ she asked.
Ebony blushed. ‘Oh, well, I’m not the star ,’ she said. ‘Honestly.’
‘You looked like a star to me. You scored a hat-trick.’
‘I mean . . . it wasn’t just me . . . it was everyone . . .’
‘You’re too modest. You’re the one who scored the goals. And you’re playing in a big tournament soon, I hear. I expect you’ll score lots of goals there too.’
Ebony shuffled her feet and looked embarrassed. ‘I hope so,’ she said. ‘But I might not be in the team. There’s lots of really good players at our school.’
But the TV presenter wasn’t really listening.
‘I’m sorry, everyone,’ Ebony said, as the TV crew walked away. ‘I didn’t know what to say.’
‘You did fine,’ said Mr Wood. ‘Couldn’t have been better. Hello, Phil. I didn’t see you arrive.’
They all turned to look at the newcomer. Phil, the Wanderers Academy coach, often watched youth football matches, looking for talented young players. ‘Terrific performance, everyone,’ he said. ‘As good as I’ve seen. You keep discovering new players, Johnny,’ he continued, with a glance at Rob. ‘I knew this lad was a tactical genius, but I didn’t know he actually played football.’
‘I didn’t before,’ said Rob. ‘I mean, before Mr Wood came back.’
Phil nodded. ‘Well, that was a really great team performance,’ he said. ‘It was a pleasure to watch.’
On the minibus on the way back to school the team discussed Phil’s comments excitedly. ‘Maybe we’ll all play for Wanderers one day,’ said Rafi.
‘I won’t,’ said Ebony.
‘Me neither,’ said Leila, ‘and Tulsi won’t either.’
‘Don’t be so sure,’ Mr Wood called from the front seat. ‘Marshall tells me that Wanderers are thinking about a Ladies Team, and they’re planning a Girls’ Academy too. So don’t give up hope just yet.’
TJ had only just finished his lunch that same afternoon when there was a knock on the door. His sister Lou answered it and came back into the room with Jamie, Rafi and Rob behind her. ‘Any more coming in?’ asked TJ’s dad, peering round Jamie to see.
‘We just wanted to talk to TJ,’ Jamie said, with an envious look at the bowl of tropical fruit salad in the middle of the table. TJ’s mum saw where he was looking. ‘You still have an appetite then, Jamie,’ she laughed. ‘Go on, boys. Have some if you like. We’ve finished.’
The boys tucked in gratefully. ‘What’s all this about then?’ asked TJ’s dad.
‘It’s Tulsi,’ said Jamie. ‘We have to get her back in the team but it seems almost like she’s not interested any more. She’s even started talking about giving up football.’
‘So we’re going to tell her about the Girls’ Academy,’ Rob said. ‘They might be starting one at Wanderers.’
‘I can’t believe Tulsi would want to give up football,’ said TJ’s mum. ‘She was the keenest of all of you.’
‘But it’s true,’ said TJ. ‘And it must be strange if you’re a girl and you love playing football but you know you won’t ever be able to play in the Champions League like Marshall does. Like we might one day.’
‘Hey,’ said TJ’s mum. ‘That’s a very long speech, TJ. But you’re right. It must be tough for Tulsi.’
‘There
is
a women’s World Cup,’ said Lou.
Similar Books
