No girl should ever be afraid to follow her dream. Just ask Caroline

The film Gregory’s Girl was released 40 years ago last month. Bill Forsyth’s classic comedy about a geeky goalkeeper who falls in love with his female team-mate delighted fans and critics alike.

I have a special affection for the movie because growing up I spent hours playing kick-about on the red blaes council pitch near my house, though it never occurred to me to ask to join the school footie team.

Times have most certainly moved on since then but it has taken most of the last four decades for women’s football to be accepted into the mainstream.

Last month BBC Scotland began screening Scottish Women’s Premier League highlights for the first time. And Sky Sports will show live matches from the Barclays FA Women’s Super League next season.

For Scotland and Manchester City player Caroline Weir it’s the news she’s been waiting for.

Caroline, who we are proud to have on the cover of P.S. this week, is one of the first Scotswomen to make a living from the game she loves.

Growing up, Caroline had no modern female role models to encourage her ambitions but she refused to give up on her dream and is now encouraging a new generation of girls to follow her lead.

On pages 6&7 she shares her inspiring journey, from practising in her back garden to representing her country at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, telling us:“It wasn’t the done thing, and it was against the odds, so I didn’t feel like I had anything to lose.”

It’s not easy going against the grain but Caroline tackled the status quo and won her right to play professionally. And that’s a goal worth celebrating.