International Women's Day: Foundation looks back at years of Female Football Pathway success

Ahead of this year’s International Women’s Day on Saturday 8 March Foundation of Light is recapping the stories of successful women to have progressed through its Female Football Pathway.

Sunderland AFC’s official charity has long been a hub for developing female football talent, with hundreds of international caps and many major winners’ medals to show it.

Here’s just some of those to have come through the Foundation of Light:

Jill Scott

A name synonymous with women’s football in England as the nation’s second most-capped senior players and a member of the 2022 European Championship winning squad.

Scott developed her trade in the Foundation’s ‘Centre of Excellence’ which was the precursor to the current Emerging Talent Centre (ETC).

While growing as a young footballer, Scott also took part in work experience football coaching with the Foundation before carving out a career as a professional footballer.

Scott broke into the Sunderland AFC Women first-team as a teenager before joining Everton in 2006 and Manchester City in 2013, where she would win the Women’s Super League and three FA Cups.

After retiring with 161 England caps and major honours at club and country level, Scott combines her media career with duties as a trustee of the Foundation of Light.

Steph Houghton

Washington-born Houghton also came through the Centre of Excellence and was a teammate of Scott’s for club and country during the majority of their respective careers.

After progressing through the Foundation’s women’s programmes, Houghton also debuted for SAFC Women as a teenager and won the FA Young Player of the Year Award in 2007.

After spells with Leeds Carnegie and Arsenal, Houghton reunited with her England and former Sunderland teammate Scott at Man City where she would spend the rest of her professional career until retirement at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Houghton was noted for her excellent leadership skills from the centre of defence throughout her career and captained both Manchester City and England. She made 121 appearances for the national team.

Houghton now works as an analyst for BBC Sport, appearing on 5Live and Football Focus and released her autobiography in 2024.

Emily Cassap

Moving on to more recent successes, 17-year-old Emily Cassap has been one of the Foundation’s breakthrough stories of the season.

After joining the Regional Talent Club (now ETC) as an Under-10, Cassap was part of the successful Sunderland side that won the U16 FA Youth Plate in 2023.

The young midfielder now regularly trains with Sunderland AFC Women’s senior squad, featuring in matchday squads, and even getting her first senior appearances, and goals, in the Conti Cup and League Cup.

Cassap has also represented England at schoolgirls’ level and in U17 World Cup in October 2024.

Cassap was recently recognised at Foundation of Light's Gala Awards Dinner for her success as a participant.

Katy Watson

Watson shares a similar story, starting on the RTC as an Under-10 and progressing through the Foundation’s girls’ football programmes before signing with Sunderland AFC Women.

The 19-year-old is now a regular first-team player with Sunderland AFC Women, featuring in Matchday squads and with more than 50 senior appearances to her name.

After making such a big impression in senior football at a young age, she was named Women’s Young Player of the Year in 2023 at the North East Football Writers Awards.

Watson has represented England at several youth levels, most recently for the Under-19 squad.

More from the Talent Centre:

Grace Ede and Niamh Boothroyd are two others to come from the Regional Talent Club to represent Sunderland AFC.

19-year-old Ede is a regular in matchday squads and has made several cup appearances as well as representing England at Under-19 level.

Niamh Boothroyd, 17, was part of the same RTC Youth Plate winning side as Emily Cassap in 2023. She joined the RTC at Under-16 level after initially taking part in Foundation of Light’s Player Development Centre (PDC).

Boothroyd now turns out for the Sunderland AFC Women Professional Game Academy (PGA) side and has represented Northern Ireland at Under-19 level.

Poppy Pritchard, 19, is another former RTC player currently carving out a professional career.

After starting in the PDC, Pritchard joined the RTC before being snapped up by Durham where her performances earned the attention of Manchester City.

Maria Farrugia

Maria Farrugia came to Sunderland from Malta to study on the Foundation’s Female Football Scholarship.

After signing for Sunderland AFC Women as an 18-year-old, Farrugia made over 50 appearances for the Black Cats before playing for Durham then Lewes.

Farrugia now plays for Women’s Championship side Sheffield United and is an established senior player at 24.

Sunderland AFC Women

Overall, at least seven members of SAFC Women’s current first-team squad took part in Foundation of Light’s Female Football Pathway.

There are also many plying their trade elsewhere, including several players at both North East rivals – Durham WFC and Newcastle United Women – and across the country.

Those include Neve Herron, a former RTC player who now plays for Birmingham City after initially breaking through with the Black Cats and returned to haunt Sunderland in the recent fixture at the Stadium of Light with a standout performance.