NI Centre-back has high hopes for upcoming tournament
19-year-old defender Teresa Burns is hoping the UEFA Women's Under 19 championships will open doors for her future.
Last updated 4th Aug 2017
The Sports Science student started her football career at her local club Sion Mills in Tyrone.
She was quickly talent identified onto the IFA's excellence programme and has played at Under 15, Under 17 and now at Under 19 International level.
Teresa forms part of the squad picked to represent Northern Ireland in the upcoming UEFA Women's Under 19 Championships.
Teresa will feature in the defensive line-up for the first game of the tournament against Spain in the group stages at Windsor on Tuesday.
The game signals the start of 16 days of matches involving eight national sides across Northern Ireland.
The defender says she is looking forward to showcasing her skills on a national platform:
"If the opportunity came up (to play for a top flight club) I would obviously take it, it would be an amazing, amazing opportunity, the likes of Arsenal ladies would be incredible.
"But I'll see whatever happens after this here tournament," she said.
Despite making history and becoming the only Northern Ireland women's team to compete in major tournament finals, the 19-year-old says she isn't intimidated by all the hype:
"The media is all around us but we're kind of in our own wee bubble if you know what I mean.
"We aren't really seeing much of it, we're in our own wee bubble and we just kind of go with it," she said.
The squad have spent months getting ready for the competition and all eyes will be on the host nation but Teresa insists Northern Ireland are well prepared.
"Obviously there's massive pressure on us because we're playing such big and well known teams who are known for their really good ability," she said.
"But because of all the training everyone's been putting in, we've been doing 100 sessions since our last tournament in October so I think... there's a lot of pressure but hopefully with the home crowd we'll be able to get results," she added.
Teresa is currently studying sports science at Ulster University in Jordanstown and says she knows football is her future but isn't sure in what capacity:
"I'm in a programme with the IFA where they give me funds to go into uni and help me along while I'm training with the International squad flat out every other day.
"I'm doing the sports science course anyway so I'm obviously going to be in sport but I just can't tell for the future yet," she said.
But despite not knowing what her future holds, Teresa wants to follow in the footsteps of some of Northern Ireland's top defenders:
"Ashley Hutton and Julie Nelson are the two big centre-backs in Northern Ireland so I would obviously aspire to get as far as they have but God knows what I could do," she said.
WATCH: NI Women's U19 players chat to @journotara ahead of UEFA championships.