Beat goes on for Central's Leah after Cup final heartbreak

Eddie’s side Central Girls, treble winners last year, were 3-0 to the good against Glasgow City, but fell to a 4-3 defeat in a demoralising turnaround in the Under 17s competition on May 29.

But the 15-year-old Graeme High School pupil is determined to make that defeat a thing of the past ahead of the club’s trip to Leicester for a tournament next month.

“It was a remarkable comeback but to lose that game is bitterly painful, you can’t quite believe it,” she said.

“But now it’s something we need to spur us on. Having results like that just makes you want to push on, get stronger and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“There’s nothing better than going to tournaments, it’s what you get into playing football for and they’re always good fun playing against the top teams around. This one features the likes of Manchester City which will be really exciting and a great test to see what we can do.

“I was meant to go to the same tournament two years ago, but I was on holiday so I had to miss it which was really gutting for me, so in some ways it feels like I’m making up for lost time – it was quite disappointing missing out and not being able to make my mark.”

Eddie has also had the opportunity to represent Scotland at U15 level earlier in the year, playing in the Bob Docherty trophy she won two years previous, a proud accolade for the youngster.

It marks vital experience for the SSE Next Generation athlete, who on Tuesday attended a workshop at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, where she received support on a number of issues, including media training and nutritional advice.

Scotland Rugby’s record rugby points and caps holder Chris Paterson was also in attendance to help mentor the athletes and Eddie admitted it had been an experience to savour.

“In the future I want to be able to represent my country at the highest level and maybe play for a team in England,” she continued.

“It’s amazing walking out in that Scotland shirt and knowing that you are part of the team representing your country and singing the national anthem.

“It’s been fantastic being at the SSE Hydro for the SSE Next Generation roadshow.”

SSE’s Next Generation programme partners with SportsAid to provide financial support and training to the sports stars of the future. Keep up to date with the latest @SSENextGen