TENNIS star Eden Richardson has been selected to fly the flag for Great Britain.

The 11-year-old from Stanney Oaks will represent Britain’s under 12s team in France next week. She is due to fly out on Monday for her first taste of international competition in the Junior European Open in Boulogne.

The clay court tournament will be Eden’s first competitive venture abroad.

Mum Lesley said: “This is where she needs to be.

“It is all very well being ranked highly at home, but if she wants to really make it in tennis, she needs to take on international players who play to a higher standard than domestic opponents.”

Eden, who attends Capenhurst Primary School, is currently number three in Britain at U12s level. Team GB contacted her coach to offer her the opportunity to step up and test herself against some of the best players from the Continent.

Her selection for the four-strong team has meant Eden has had to train hard in the run-up to Christmas – but there have been no complaints from the tennis-mad youngster.

She is even looking forward to going to France without parents Mike and Lesley, something Team GB stipulate.

“The Great Britain team like to make sure the players get used to packing their own kit and travelling without their parents early on,” said Lesley. “That is how they live as players on the circuit and they have to be used to that.

“I will take her down to the National Tennis Centre in London and then we’ll say goodbye. I’ll miss her but she’s just so excited.”

Eden does spend time away from her parents when she trains at Roehampton but to travel to France is a much greater move.

And while she will not receive any European ranking points for her efforts, she will gain valuable experience which should help equip her for the next few years when competition domestically and internationally suddenly becomes much tougher.

“There are young players in Europe now training a lot more than Eden and offering a real challenge for her to overcome,” said Lesley. “To take them on now she will know what she has to do in future and she will also know how she compares to them now.

“She is determined and wants to improve all the time. This is a great honour and it will also be important for her development.”