A homeless Kent teenager has been selected to represent England as part of the homeless football squad.

Jacqueline Thompson, 17, currently staying at supported accommodation run by the charity Porchlight, has travelled to Europe as part of the team, taking on sides from Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.

Travelling with a team of seven other young homeless women from across the country, she admits that at first, she was terrified.

“I’d never been abroad before and to go with people I barely knew was a huge challenge," she said.

“We all felt nervous for the first game but as the tournament went on, we started to enjoy ourselves and the nerves faded away.

“We were just like a family”

The squad is selected through the Homeless Football Association’s training centre which aims to help homeless people gain self-respect and confidence through the development of leadership and other life skills.

Jacqueline said: “Before I was scared to even try in case I failed but now, if an opportunity came up, I would stand tall and go for it.”

She is now looking forward to more training at the FA’s National Football Centre at St George’s Park where she hopes to have the chance to mentor other players and further improve her own personal and leadership skills.

Jacqueline is also studying for A levels at sixth form college and is starting to rebuild relationships with her family.