She began her career at the age of eight playing for the local boy's team Rainhill United and then moved on to the women's team Knowsley United. She played there for four years before moving to Everton Ladies where she has been a first team regular since breaking into the side in 1999.

Kelly's talent became evident at an early age and it was not long before she was selected for England Under-16s, incredibly when she was only 14, and has remained an England regular ever since. Kelly was an integral part of the successful England Under-19s team in the recent European Championships and scored in the incredible 3-1 win over Norway.

Her progress continued in March when she received her first call up to the Senior squad for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Holland and retained her place for the recent qualifier against Germany. Kelly is currently a student at the F.A.'s National Player Development Centre, on a three-year scholarship funded by The Football Association, where she is completing a BTEC in Sports Science.

Her progression in the game so far has been very impressive and it can only be a matter of time before she is a fully-fledged member of the England Women's Senior side. Kelly talked to Ben Rice about her career to date, the up-coming Under-19 FIFA World Championships in Canada and her hopes for the future.

How did you first get involved in football?

'I used to go down the field and play with my dad. My dad used to take me round the corner to our local field and we just used to kick a ball about and that was when his mate said that a boy's team Rainhill United were looking for new players so it was my dad really who got me into it.'

Did you envisage back then that you would end up playing for England?

'I always wanted to play for England, that was my ultimate dream but I never thought I would get the chance unless I became a good player and so I never really thought about it. It was something that I wanted to achieve and so I just worked really hard to get there.'

How did you feel when England were narrowly beaten by Germany in the recent European semi-final?

'It has got to be the highlight of my career so far. The whole squad together played really well, we all got on together and some of the results that we came away with like the Norway result [3-1] and then we should have beaten Germany [losing 1-0] when we were the better team.

It was such a good experience to play and to get to the semi-finals which no-one expected us to do. No-one even expected us to get to the finals so to get to the semis was just a real big thing for all of us. It also meant that we qualified for the Under-19s World Championships, which is fantastic.'

Are you looking forward to the World Championships in Canada in August?

'There is a big fitness testing programme at the moment, getting everybody prepared for the Championship so every player is working hard to be put up for selection. I'm hoping to be selected and that will probably be just as big an experience as the Euros in Sweden, if not bigger. In our group we've got Australia, Chinese Taipai and the United States, so we've got a pretty tough group! But if we do what our coaches tell us then we could probably turn a few heads and get a few results out of it. We are all on a high after Sweden and so hopefully we can take that on to these Championships.'

How is life at the FA Women’s National Development Centre at Loughborough?

'Everyone who wants to play for England has got to play football everyday and by going to the Centre, I get to improve on the things that I need to improve. It gives me the advantage that I'm training everyday. I'm fitter, I'm stronger and its good all-round for my game. It's a good challenge, it's something that I've always wanted to do, to play football everyday and hopefully one day I can make a living out of it.'

This year you have also been involved in the Senior international squad, so what are your ambitions now?

'At the moment my priority is the Under-19 World Championships, if I'm selected, but it's really great to be involved with the Senior team. I get to play with such good players, which is really good because you experience how fast the tempo is and what life is like with the Senior squad. The atmosphere is so different than with the Under-19s. I'm just hoping that Hope Powell keeps me involved because I'm really enjoying it at the moment.'

Have you been watching the World Cup?

'I'm busy studying and training but I am watching it. I really enjoy watching it because it is a chance to see great players and the players that are coming through. There have been some good games. I'm hoping that the Women's World Cup next year in China will be as good and I really hope that we qualify.'

Who do you think will win?

'I've had my money on Spain to win but I'm not too sure now - Brazil or Spain I think but I believe England and the Republic of Ireland can get through to the next round. Hopefully from there England will do the business and go all the way. With a bit of luck we'll be coming home with the trophy!'