Seven Hills soccer star Anna on the rise

IN JUST one year, 12-year-old Anna Norton has gone from playing soccer for her local club, to being picked for the national competition as goalie.

12-year-old Anna Norton from Seven Hills is a soccer star on the rise. Photo: David Swift

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IN JUST one year, 12-year-old Anna Norton has gone from playing soccer for her local club, to being picked for the national competition as goalie.

“I like saving goals and meeting new people,” Anna, from Seven Hills, said.

The young soccer star has been playing the sport since she was seven, inspired by her older sister, Rebecca, and mum Marianne, who played the game.

Anna started playing for the Toongabbie Demons and now plays for the Blacktown Spartans under-12 team as goalkeeper.

“The icing on the cake was being selected to represent NSW at Nationals in Perth in August,” Marianne said. “She only let two goals in the whole tournament, the least number of goals for any of the goalkeepers in the girls’ competition.’’

NSW came second in the National Football Championships.

Anna trains hard with Blacktown Spartans, which is part of a development squad, twice a week during the season and once a week at the international goalkeepers’ academy.

She also trains with Girraween Little Athletics and represented NSW at the Trans Tasman challenge in Auckland in January. In the off-season she plays futsal.

“It’s fun, I’ve always liked playing sports,” Anna said.

She aspires to play at a professional level one day.

Anna is a Junior Sports Star nominee. The awards are sponsored by Rebel. Nominate at juniorsportsstar.com.au