England's women have teamed up with Disney as part of a fresh drive to grow participation among girls at grass-roots level.
Lionesses stars such as captain Steph Houghton and player of the year Lucy Bronze have adopted some of the characteristics of their favourite Disney princesses as part of the 'Dream Big' campaign.
The players have participated in a video in which they discuss the attributes of the princesses and relate them to football.
Houghton speaks about the determination of Cinderella and how that attitude helped her career. Bronze recalls how the fearlessness of Mulan inspired her in terms of finding the toughness to succeed.
Other players involved include Ellen White, Nikita Parris and Siobhan Chamberlain. 'Be confident', 'be determined', 'be caring', 'be kind' and 'be fearless' are among the messages of advice they share to 'aspiring princesses'.
The campaign is a joint initiative between the Football Association and Disney and launches this summer ahead of England's involvement in Euro 2017.
It is part of the FA's strategy for women and girls' football, Gameplan for Growth, which aims to double participation, double the number of fans by 2020 and achieve success on the world stage by 2023.
Houghton said: "Being brave, being strong and being kind are all important attributes when it comes to building a successful team and they are all qualities that girls can learn from Disney Princesses.
"We're delighted to join the Disney Dream Big Princess campaign and hope it helps give girls the confidence to believe in themselves."
Source: PA
