WALES hockey ace Phoebe Richards has reached a century of caps for her country but could have been starring for England’s football team in the Women’s World Cup that kicks-off this week.

The Knighton ace was awarded her golden cap ahead of the first of Wales’ three back-to-back internationals against France.

But the former pupil of John Beddoes school, who took her caps total to 102 during Wales 2-1 series win over France, could have followed a completely different route to sporting success.

Her first choice sport had been football at which she was good enough to play for England Under 15s and Under 17 with Nikita Parris who is tipped to be one of the stars of this year’s Women’s World Cup that begins in France on Friday.

The Women’s World Cup will be televised across the world and some of women’s football’s star players are fronting a high profile advertising campaign for sportswear giants Nike.

But the 26-year-old, who qualified for England through her grandmother – "the only" English person in the family – has no regrets over switching sports. "I’m not envious. I played under 15s, under 17s with Nikita Parris, Alex Greenwood and Mary Earps, the goalie, which is bizarre."

Her first football club was Knighton under 10s and and when she was no longer able to play in mixed sides joined Ludlow which was the nearest girls team.

Playing over the border brought her to the attention of Wolverhampton Wanderers and she was also in the Birmingham City Ladies side, ahead of the first Women’s Super League season, where she brushed shoulders with another star of the women’s game Chelsea and England midfielder Karen Carney.

"When I was at Birmingham Karen Carney was in the team so it is bizarre," said Richards who, like most of her Welsh hockey teammates, combines a first class sporting career with a full time job.

Though Richards had chosen a different sporting path to one that could have seen her play for former Manchester United player Phil Neville's side, known as the Lionesses who open their campaign against Scotland on Sunday, she has travelled the world over seven years playing for Wales and featured in two Commonwealth Games.

The former footballer said once she turned her attention to controlling a smaller ball with a stick there was one significant rule change between the two sports she had to adapt to: "Football and hockey are transferable I think.

"They always same the formations and positioning is the same, the only real big difference is that they don’t have off-side in hockey, which is weird. So when I first started I always used to play on the last defender, because I’m a forward, and that was because I played football. But learnt the more I played hockey and less football."

For the full interview with Phoebe Richards see this week’s Brecon & Radnor Express - on sale now