Holly Crank may only be 14, but she is already England's No 1 girls' keeper at under-16 level.

And a lot of the progress by the Rastrick High School pupil is down to Bradford Ladies' Hockey Club and, more particularly, their first-team manager Bev Barstow.

"Bev has brought her through in the three years she has been at the club," said Holly's father Ian, "but she has also been helped by former England coach Tony Irvine."

Holly has already played for Bradford Under-18s, and for West Yorkshire and the North of England at under-15 level.

The teenager has regularly figured for Bradford's senior second team in the Northern Feeder League and has made half-a-dozen appearances for the first team in the heady heights of National League Division Two - the national third division.

Her dad added: "Holly is with a very good club in Bradford, and she has been brought through the third team to the second team, as well as playing for the under-18s indoor and out.

"Holly had England trials at Bisham Abbey on December 27 and then four days at Loughborough University, from which she emerged as the under-16s' top keeper, and since then she has been to a four-day holding camp in Manchester."

Crank is the latest girl to emerge from a conveyor-belt of talent at Bradford Ladies that goes back to Great Britain Olympic medallist Jill Atkins and has continued with England internationals Helen Grant and Karen Wells.

Holly's dad said: "She wants to emulate Karen by becoming England under-21 keeper."

Young Crank's latest outing was to Berlin for a five-day under-16 international tournament also featuring Spain, Holland and Germany.

Her dad said: "They lost every game, but only by one-goal margins such as 1-0 and 2-1."

Barstow, who watched the tournament as his 16-year-son Daniel was an umpire, said: "Holly was excellent. She has great reactions and is confident and mature for someone of her age.

"Second-team hockey at Bradford Ladies is a good place for her to be playing at her age.

"It is allowing her to develop at the right pace. Playing regularly for the first team might have set her back."

Holly's next target is to be selected for the European Under-16 Cup in Somerset at the end of June.