BARNSLEY Lioness Beth England is the poster woman for the first-ever lunar football kit - but there’s much more behind the release.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) - with the help of Beth - unveiled the world’s first football home and away kits for the lunar footballers of the future following a campaign in which engineers predicted humans could be playing a competitive game of football on the moon as early as 2035.

The big reveal follows a nationwide competition by the IET for school children aged four to 13 to design the first-ever ‘Moon United’ home and away kit with the aim of challenging outdated perceptions of engineering and showing children how they could combine a passion for football and space with a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) related career.

Kingstone-born Beth said: “It’s an old football phrase, but the girls did an amazing job and I’m over the moon to be part of this campaign to involve youngsters in STEM.

“While science and engineering play a big part in the future, it’s critical to my life as a footballer today.

“That’s everything from the design of football boots, training and nutrition, performance analysis data, through to the construction of the stadiums we play in.

“Without STEM, we wouldn’t have the beautiful game as we know it today.”