A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD who spent the first ten weeks of her life in intensive care has made it into the record books by becoming the first girl in her football club to win an award.

Millicent Hayes, of Booker, plays for the Under Sevens team of Flackwell Heath Minors Football Club and has scooped the trophy for the Manager's Player of the Season.

It is the first time in the club's 40-year history that a girl has been given any kind of award.

Mills, as she is nicknamed, picked up her award on Sunday, June 25, and it was a proud day for her dad Gareth Hayes, 46, who has seen his daughter blossom from a SCBU baby into a young sports star.

He said: "It's especially rewarding for us as Mills was a SCBU baby and spent ten weeks in Wycombe General starting life at a tiny 3lbs. In fact there's still a picture of her on the wall in SCBU aged one year old to give strength and hope to anxious parents who are going through what we went through."

Dr Hayes believes his own love for "the beautiful game" has had a part to play in his child's talent.

He said: "I'm a football fan and I always take them to Wycombe's games. And it helps that they live in a quiet street she's grown up with all the kids playing on the street. At one time Millicent toyed with the idea of stopping football because it clashed with her horse riding but didn't stop it because she really wanted to continue into the next season."

Mills, a Chelsea fan who goes to Juniper Hill School in Churchill Close, Flackwell Heath, said of her award: "I am very pleased and surprised."

At the club's end of year ceremony in Wilkes Park manager David James noted how Mills has been to every Saturday morning training session since the start of the season.

In the most recent tournaments at Bourne End and Flackwell Heath she was the only girl among the 60 or so kids taking part in each competition.

Dr Hayes said: "Her ten-year-old brother Amos is captain of the Under Tens so she's followed in his footsteps. You can understand what proud parents we are."