WALES have never managed to get a team through to the finals of the European Women’s Under-17 Championship since the first tournament back in 2008.

The road to the 2017 showpiece event in the Czech Republic begins for Wales next week when they play three qualifying round matches in Latvia.

Caldicot School pupil and Bristol City star Amina Vine will be in that Welsh squad hoping to make history by breaking their Euro qualification duck.

Unlike the seniors, the under-17s play all of their group stage games at one venue in the space of five days.

The final standings in Group 7, which also features the host nation, Turkey and five-time winners and reigning champions Germany, will be determined on October 7.

The Rigas Hanzas Vidusskola stadium in the Latvian capital of Riga stages five of the group’s six games, with the town of Ogre hosting the other between Turkey and Germany.

Wales play the Turks on Sunday, the Germans 48 hours later and then Latvia next Friday.

The top two in each group go through to what is called the elite round, while the two best third-placed finishers across the 11 pools also qualify for the next phase.

Those 24 countries are then split into six groups of four with the group winners and best second-placed side joining the Czech Republic at next year’s finals.

For teenager Vine, who represented Wales at the Bob Docherty tournament last year, this is not the first time she has been called up to the under-17 squad.

And mum Mary couldn’t be prouder of her daughter’s achievements, saying: “Amina is in her seventh season with Bristol City and she has come through the system with them.

“She was only 15 when she was first called up to the under-17 squad and now she is going to Latvia.

“She started playing football at Sudbrook Cricket Club when she was five or six, and she has gone on from there.

“Amina plays mostly as a defender but can also play as a holding midfielder, she’s quite versatile.”

Mary added: “She was absolutely delighted to get picked and we’re delighted for her.”

Keeping it in the family, Amina’s younger sister Shurima is also a Bristol City player and Gwent Girls’ Performance Centre footballer.