LEIGH netball player Rebekah Airey insists all the hard work will be worth it if she can confirm her spot on the plane to Australia this summer with the England Under-21s squad.

A fan of the sport since she first started plating in primary school, 19-year-old Airey has been slowly working her way through the ranks, gaining selection for both the U17s and U19s squads.

The latest recognition has seen the Wigan and Leigh College student named in the U21s long squad ahead of England's tour to Australia in July.

The focus for this age group is the European Under-21s Championships in October, while the long-term aim is to qualify for the 2017 World Youth Championships, which will be held in Botswana.

But with the long squad set to be reduced in numbers before the final selection, Airey is keeping her fingers crossed she can book a place on the flight to Oz.

“It’s been great playing for England having just been selected, it’s hard but when it all comes together it’s really rewarding,” said Airey, who plays for Dominoes Netball Club in East Manchester.

“I really want to be a part of the tour, but I need to work on my foot speed and my jumping.

“The season with Dominoes has been good, other than an injury I picked up a few weeks ago that made me miss part of it.

“I was only out for about three weeks, I was playing a game and I landed and someone went in to the back of me and I went over on my ankle and strained my tendon.

“My long-term goal is to compete in the U21s World Cup and I’m not really looking beyond that at the moment.”

Airey is one of 100 athletes to have been selected for the 2015 SSE Next Generation programme, a scheme that identifies potential Commonwealth Games and Olympic medallists of the future, providing them with financial help and mentoring from elite athletes like Olympic medal-winning diver Leon Taylor.

And the budding netball star, who was also selected last year, believes being an SSE Next Generation athlete will help spur her on to bigger and better things.

“The last year has really helped in terms of the funding, I know that might sound a bit blunt but it just helped with the accommodation and with travel,” she added.

“Travel’s been really difficult this year because I’m based in Manchester but I’m travelling to Loughborough University twice a week and all the games in between.

“I got into netball because I could never sit still in school so it was a good way to focus my energy and I’ve always just loved being involved in sport.

“I think the SSE scheme will help me in working towards getting on the tour to Australia and I hope it all works out because I really want to go.”

SSE’s Next Generation programme partners with SportsAid to provide financial support and training to the sports stars of the future. Keep up to date with the latest @SSENextGen