YEARS of hard work and dedication finally paid off for Barry teenager Charlotte Preen when she was selected to play football for Wales.

Charlotte, 18, of Kendrick Road, won her first Wales cap playing against Kazakhstan in the UEFA women's under-19s championship in September.

The Cardiff City striker, who supports Liverpool, had dreamt of playing for Wales while still a pupil at Bryn Hafren Comprehensive School.

She said: "When I found out I had been selected it was unbelievable. I was so shocked.

"Its something I have wanted since I was 14 but I've had a few setbacks with injuries and I thought it would never happen."

In addition to playing football for Cardiff City and Wales, Charlotte is also a first-year student at UWIC, studying for a degree in sport development.