SHE'S a ten-year-old girl who really can Bend it like Beckham.

Jane Marie Yeates has been pitting her skills on the pitch against 50 other hopefuls from across the world after winning a place in the Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools International Skills Final.

And the Chandler's Ford schoolgirl has proven that girls can be on the ball when it comes to her favourite sport - she was one of only two girls to make it through to the big event. A regular star player for the Saints under-10s ladies' team, Jane Marie beat off competition from 60 other girls in the Co-operative Financial Services, CIS, Soccer Roadshow in Southampton earlier this year to earn her place in the Manchester competition.

Youngsters aged between eight and 14 took part and were judged on their skills in long and short-range passing, dribbling, shooting and ball juggling.

Jane Marie said: "I really enjoyed it. It was a great day, and I think I did well in most things but especially the lofted pass tests."

Proud Dad Colin Yeates accompanied Jane Marie on her trip to the tests final. He said: "She did really well on the day and we had a great time."

Jane Marie, who usually plays in a forward position, scored an impressive 720 points on the day. "The ball juggling was probably the hardest test but I was pleased with my score and it was a great experience," she said.

The winner on the day had 950 points, but even that was still short of the record score of 1,100 points, which is still held by England captain David Beckham from 1986 when he was aged just 12.

As part of their trip to the finals, sponsors CIS gave Jean Marie and her dad free tickets to a Bolton Wanderers match, but as Saints fans the only disappointment came when Bolton lost the game to Portsmouth.