My name is Jake, I go to St Mary's RC High School. I am in Year 11 and I'm here on work experience. I chose to come to the Herefordshire FA as I was interested in the IT side of working here and it was a great opportunity as I play football and referee. 

I started playing football in year 1 where i started at Westfields FC. I played Striker and on the wing when i was playing for them. When I was in Year 6 I was scouted by Wolves and was on trial with them for 6 weeks. Every Friday I went to there training ground and either played a match or trained. At the end of the 6 weeks i didn't get in so I went back to playing for Westfields. A couple years later I trialed for the Herefordshire FA team and got in, so i played for both teams for a couple of years until I got released from Hereford. After this I joined Bartestree FC and trialed for Cheltenham and I got in which is where I'm still playing today. 

Alongside playing football I have done the referee course. I learnt the rules of the game, safeguarding and how to deal with abuse. I recommend getting into refereeing as it is a great way to learn new skills, meet different people and earn money when being a teenager. If you want to learn more about refereeing email  referees@herefordshirefa.com