Rose Kent was one of nine players selected to the national side for their trip to São Paulo for the fifth World Deaf Futsal Championships.
Kent’s latest international call-up follows a string of starring performances for the Hartpury Futsal Women’s side in the FA Women’s National League.
The 19-year-old made her debut for the Hartpury program in November 2022 and quickly became a permanent fixture in the first team.
Kent’s fine form caught the eye of Chris Day, head coach of England Deaf Women’s futsal, who rewarded the youngster with a place in the team.
Nobody is more thrilled to see Kent represent her country on the highest stage than her grandmother Sheila, who told Park Life Sport, “We are very proud of her achievements.”
Paul McHugh, Hartpury Women’s Futsal head coach, spoke glowingly about the talent that Kent brings to the national side.
Kent and the Lionesses traveled to the World Deaf Futsal Championships hoping to emulate their success in the European Deaf Futsal Championships 2022 when they lifted the trophy thanks to Kent’s stunning hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Spain in the final.
Unfortunately, despite a sterling effort from Kent and her teammates, England got off to a slow start in the group stage at the World Deaf Futsal Championships on Friday, losing 3-0 in their opening game to Japan.
Despite dominating possession for long spells, the Lionesses quickly found themselves behind after an early goal from Japan and never recovered.
More heartache followed on Saturday, as Chris Day’s side found themselves on the wrong side of a 5-0 scoreline to the defending champions, and hosts, Brazil. Once again, England started the better of the two teams but conceded early goals against the run of play.
Those results leave Kent and the Lionesses needing to win their remaining games in Group B to progress in the tournament. They face a tough German side on Monday before playing Argentina and Ireland later in the week.
Achieving success may be a tall order for England, given their poor start, but with talent like Kent at their disposal, there always remains a glimmer of hope.
Show your support for Kent and the Lionesses by following the England Deaf Futsal Facebook page. YouTube links to watch each game live are published shortly before kick-off.
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