Milly Boughton is about to experience a truly special moment.
West Ham United Women’s WSL Academy midfielder has been called up for the first time by Australia U20s for their AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers.
The young Matildas will face Guam and hosts Kyrgyz Republic in Group C of the round one qualifiers, with the group winner progressing to round two in June 2023. The matches will take place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The selection of the squad has followed three training camps and international matches over the past six months.
Boughton was born in south London, but moved to New South Wales when she was two with her family, spending 14 years down under before deciding to move back to England to pursue her dream of becoming a professional footballer.
She can vividly remember her first trial with West Ham United, which took place in June 2022.
“I’d only arrived back in the UK the day before,” Boughton told whufc.com. “I can remember being incredibly jetlagged when I turned up on the day, and there were so many players that had come along to try out.
“We played a lot of matches and I remember coming away and thinking that I’d been alright, but I wasn’t too sure that I’d done enough because there were a lot of really good players that had come to trial.
“Then, I remember being told by one of the coaches that I’d been selected, and two weeks later I was playing for West Ham against Hashtag United in a pre-season friendly. It all came around so quickly!
“I wanted to move back to England because I wanted more competition and a tougher environment, and being in the academy at West Ham has given me that.”
A 3-1 defeat against the Tags wasn’t to be Boughton's last taste of mixing in with the first team, as the youngster has spent time at Chadwell Heath training with the rest of the squad.
In the February international break, Boughton joined Princess Ademiluyi, Macey Nicholls and Soraya Walsh in training with the likes of Kate Longhurst, Grace Fisk and Abbey-Leigh Stringer whilst their colleagues were away on international duty.
The experience once again reaffirmed to Boughton that there is a pathway into the first-team squad should she continue to work hard and take her chances with the U21s side.
“When I first trained with the first team at Chadwell, I was really taken back by how quick it was and I wasn’t prepared for that. I had only recently come into the country, and I was training with the first team, and they demand a lot.
“Now I’m prepared a lot better by Stephen (Opoka) and his coaching team – it’s not as hard and I am able to fit in a lot better. It’s been a really rewarding experience for me – I’m taking everything that I’m learning from being involved in those session back into the academy with me – like making sure I’m keeping the intensity and driving it.
“I know when I’m training with better players I’m improving because they’re keeping the intensity, so taking that into the academy and doing that can not only help me, but my teammates improve at U21s level, because we’re setting the standards of what is needed to be involved with the first team, which is ultimately what we’re all aiming for.”
A regular for Opoka’s U21s side, Boughton has started 12 matches this season, scoring eight goals – helping the Hammers to seventh place in the WSL Academy League Southern Division.
Now she prepares to fly out to Central Asia, an experience that she hopes she will help her when she returns to east London for the remainder of the campaign.
“I was really surprised to be selected,” Boughton explained. “I talked to the Australia coach (Leah Blayney) and she was in contact with me a lot, making sure I was training and playing lots of games to prepare me for these matches that are coming up.
“I’m really excited and it’s my first international - I’ve worked so hard for this, and I feel like it’s come at a good time for me.
“I also have to thank the coaches at the Academy and with the first team, because I’ve definitely improved as a player since coming to the Club – they’ve been really good at getting across where I need to improve and that’s really helped.”
Boughton and Australia will take on Guam on Tuesday 7 March at 2pm GMT, whilst they will also face Kyrgyz Republic on Saturday 11 March at 2pm GMT – both matches will be played at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, the national stadium of Kyrgystan.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to wish Milly well whilst she is away on international duty.
For enquiries about the West Ham United Women's Academy, please email [email protected]