A 10-YEAR-OLD football star is being forced to leave her Darwen club -- because she's a girl.

Kaye Widdicombe, of Brantwood Street, Darwen, loves football and has notched up several trophies during the one season she has played for Oggy Hotspurs.

But today chairman of the Blackburn and Darwen Junior Football League Phil Beach slammed the Lancashire Football Association and FIFA which have ruled that girls can only play in mixed teams until they are 10.

Kaye, a pupil at St Peter's Primary, Darwen, couldn't get into her school football team so she joined the Oggy Hotspurs last year.

She has since dribbled her way to victory and scored a hit with both her team-mates and opponents.

But under the governing bodies' rules, centre half Kaye, now has to find herself aa all-girl side despite not wanting to leave her club.

Mr Beach said: "She's fantastic, we'd love to keep her on, but under the rules girls can only play until their 10 then they have to play for an all-girl side. It's absolutely unbelievable." He added that the league was setting up an under 12s mini-league for girls starting from next season.

Kaye's father, Gary, said: "She's been a revelation at the Oggy Hotspurs. She really enjoys playing with the lads and beating them.

"When she started you could see the boys thinking that she was a pushover because she was a girl, but she soon showed them. She's only a slim girl, I don't know where she gets her strength from.

"She has been playing in an all boys team and an under 10s all boys league in Blackburn and Darwen.

"There have been some great moments throughout the season and she's just been voted best player of the year by her team-mates and best player in the league."

Kaye is taking football very seriously and is determined to further her skills.

She said: "I'm a bit upset that I have to leave my team, but I'm looking forward to finding a girls' team because I love playing football."

She understands that she can't keep playing with in an all-male team, but she is now looking for a place in a local under 12s girls' team.

Oggy Hotspurs manager Gary Ward added: "Kaye has been fantastic, She's every bit as good as the other boys on my team and in the league, She's a very good player and she will do well for herself."