It comes in conjunction with a programme, backed by Weir and delivered by the UK’s largest grassroots sport charity, to remove key barriers to both participation and coaching for women and girls through education and mentoring.

Ensuring that everyone has access to physical activity is essential, says Dunfermline-born Weir, who was recently nominated for the prestigious Ballon D’Or award.

But, shaped by her own experiences, providing specific support that can keep young girls from dropping out of sport and encourage adults to find a role as participants, coaches or officials is vital to level the playing field in the years ahead.

“When I started out playing football, I had to play in boys teams and there was often a stigma for girls who were sporty and the pathways were very limited.

“A lot has changed for the better but there’s still a lot of work to be done. Women and girls often feel a lack of confidence in being physically active and many have had bad experiences in the past that mean they’re reluctant to come back into sport.

“Women and girls have different needs and I want to use my position, and my role as Ambassador for Sported, to highlight these – but also to do something to help and bring change.”

Newly-published research from Sported shows that 58 per cent of grassroots sports organisations identified ‘a lack of confidence from individuals’ as a barrier to participation and engagement for women and girls. 42 per cent noted poor past experiences as a dissuading factor while 44 per cent flagged a lack of awareness of opportunities.

“These aren’t secrets but neither is there a magic formula to make the issues disappear,” said Sported’s chief executive Sarah Kaye.

“Even though there’s been a massive explosion in women’s sport over the past decade driven by the successes of all four home nations in women’s football, too many girls quit because they don’t feel at home.

“And there is still a chronic shortage of female coaches and volunteers in our grassroots ecosystem. That needs more effort and investment. That’s why we’re delighted that Caroline is joining Sported as an Ambassador. She’s investing more than just her time. She’s bringing her own knowledge and experience to the table to allow us to make an even bigger impact.”

That will kick off with a pilot Young Leader programme in Weir’s home county of Fife in conjunction with the Pars Foundation (Dunfermline FC) and the Scottish FA before being rolled out nationally.

Its aim is to inspire and empower the next generation of female leaders in football. Using football as the engagement tool, the programme will support 8–10 young girls (aged 13–17) to develop their leadership skills and confidence, becoming ambassadors for women and girls in their clubs, schools, and communities.

Through mentorship and the inspiration of Caroline Weir as a role model, these young leaders will champion the female voice in football and drive positive change across the game.

“It was my dream from a young age to play at the highest level for my club and country and I feel very fortunate to be in this position,” said Weir who is personally co-funding the initiative with Sported. “And although I’d love for this programme to bring through some future superstars, that isn’t the goal.

“We know sport is great for physical health, but also for mental health too. Through this programme, I want to help to create more opportunities for girls and women to access  sport and use it to build their confidence, leadership and transferrable skills, in a way that benefits every participant for life.”