Spurs star returns to former school in Enfield Lock

Fresh from an FA Cup final appearance, Jessica Naz has returned to her roots at Oasis Academy Enfield

A Tottenham Hotspur Women’s star capped a big week in her career by returning to her former school in Enfield Lock.

Striker Jessica Naz was placed on standby for England in her first senior call-up earlier this week, having represented Tottenham Hotspur Women in the Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium just two days earlier.

She later met with pupils and her former teachers at Oasis Academy Enfield to reflect on her journey from the school to representing the Lilywhites at Wembley, before taking part in a girls’ football session run by the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.

Jess said: “When I was at this school there weren’t many girls playing football so to see a whole group of girls is brilliant and they were all playing with smiles on their faces which was good to see. I was the only girl on this court playing against the boys!”

Since helping the club to promotion to the Women’s Super League in 2019, Jess has become a key feature of the Spurs squad.

“I think it’s been a good season for the club, everyone’s enjoyed it and for me I’ve built a lot of confidence with my teammates,” she said reflecting on her journey. “We did very well and built good foundations for next season.

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“It was a dream come true to be called up to England and see all my hard work pay off. I will keep going and hopefully the good things will keep coming.”

The session was led by a former Spurs teammate of Jess’, Renee Hector, who is now a program coordinator for the foundation.

Asked about the heights Jess has reached, she said: “I knew Jess had endless talent and the world was her oyster. She was probably the best player I ever played with.

“Not only that, she’s a really humble person and it was a joy to see the smiles on the faces of the girls here when Jess came back.

“For them, it just shows that the sky’s the limit and they’ll one day have the chance to achieve whatever they want, whether it’s football or anything else.”

Steve Ambler, teacher at Oasis Academy Enfield, said: “One of my earliest memories at this school was watching Jess play next to this pitch and you could see straight away that she was going to be a huge success. He used to run rings around the boys which was always fun to watch! You knew she was always going to be fantastic, she was so good at dribbling, like a little Messi.”

Philip Rudling, head of programs at the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, added: “We are delivering an increasing number of sessions in schools and in the community for women and girls in the hope of inspiring and nurturing the next generation.

“Thanks to the support of various funders such as the Premier League Charity Fund and the Post Office Lottery, we can continue to give everyone, regardless of background, a place to belong.”

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