Jordan Nobbs, Mel Reay, Charlotte Potts and Neve Herron detail huge impact England playing in Sunderland can have

We all know the city has a rich history of producing talent for the national team

Jill Scott made her debut at Sunderland Ladies and is in the squad to face Austria.

So too did England captain Steph Houghton, although she will miss the chance to return to Sunderland with an Achilles injury.

Constantly touted as one of the best players in women’s football, Lucy Bronze – who, like Houghton, is injured – also cut her teeth in Sunderland before moving on to triple Champions League glory

Beth Mead will be there, though, and before she was banging goals in for Arsenal was scoring regularly for Sunderland.

The club also provided a platform to Demi Stokes and Jordan Nobbs, both former Black Cats players and part of Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman’s squad ahead of the weekend.

Although not selected this time around, Lucy Staniforth and Carly Telford are both capped England internationals who have played for Sunderland.

For Nobbs, though, the return to Sunderland is a welcome prospect and one she is looking forward to, especially given her history with the club.

“It’s obviously great to be back with England and it is great timing to go back to Sunderland and have the family and friends there, it’ll be nice to see them,” Nobbs said after returning following an injury.

“The Stadium of Light was one of the first stadiums that I ever played at. I came on at half-time in a men’s game when I was seven. It is a nice moment to be back on home grounds but playing for England is the main thing.

“It’s home really. When I was a kid, I used to play outside (the stadium) in little sand tournaments and I have got a book at home where I had kept a piece of the grass from my boot when I was seven.

“Sunderland was always a part of my football journey and it is always nice to go home and reminisce on that.”

And Nobbs is all too aware that she is living her dream and inspiring the next generation.

“I guess that back then when I was seven, I was a little girl who wanted to play football but now, the dream has come true and I have got to play for my national team and I’m playing for a top club in Arsenal,” Nobbs said.

“You learn a lot through the journey and I guess that I am very proud of myself to have achieved what I have and I am very glad that I went to Sunderland so young to start off that journey there.”

And there are those who are looking to Nobbs and her England teammates as we speak, with their dreams visualised this weekend at the Stadium of Light.

Charlotte Potts, a rock at the back for Sunderland Ladies since her return from Hibernian Women this season, explained: “The whole day is going to be spectacular.

“For the current players who have come through the Sunderland set-up, to us as a club.

“We can show the FA the progress we are trying to make in the North East, especially with talent coming through such as our current players in the youth squads, to the RTC girls and not forgetting the large number of girls within grassroots setups.

"We’ve all witnessed the numbers involved in girls football growing rapidly.”

Neve Herron is one of Sunderland’s Ladies most promising players.

She is able to play across defence and in midfield and has received England youth recognition recently as has been tipped for big things in the game.

Although she will miss the game at the Stadium of Light due to her own Three Lions commitments at St George’s Park, Herron was in no doubt of the impact the game at the Stadium of Light can have.

“I think it is a really good opportunity for girls in grassroots and the regional Talent Centre and even players within our first team as we have quite a good squad,” Herron explains.

“Having the game at the Stadium of Light is great for young girls in the area and some of the older players. It is a great opportunity for all and it is great to see.”

Sunderland Ladies have four players away on international commitments during the international break.

The aforementioned Herron alongside Jessica Brown at St George’s Park.

And Libby McInness recently featured for England under-18s against Norway, playing 75 minutes in a 4-3 win.

The word from the England camp is the youngster performed well, with coaches pleased with her showing.

Maria Farrugia, too, is away representing Malta with Sunderland Ladies head coach Mel Reay insistent that seeing an England team come to Wearside can inspire her squad further.

“They are just at the start of their journey these young players and they only have to look back and see where the England team is now and that could be them in a few years time and that is the carrot you have to keep dangling,” Reay said.

“But they have to want to work hard and keep putting in performances for this football club in order to get recognised at international level.

“There’s such a big North East contingent in the squad and there’s a few who have missed out who will be disappointed.”

“But they’ll be looking forward to coming back to the North East and putting on a show for the supporters at the Stadium of Light.”

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