The Arsenal star's mum helping football's newest recruits

Myles Lewis-Skelly's mum Marcia Lewis said it was "pretty awesome" to see her son raising the Premier League trophy

Marcia Lewis was new to football when her son, Myles Lewis-Skelly, joined Arsenal's football academy at the age of eight.

Fast forward to today, and Lewis-Skelly is playing regularly for Arsenal and has been selected for England.

In March last year, at the age of 18, he made football history when he became the youngest player to score on debut for the men's senior national team.

It has been quite the journey, from a young academy player to a professional footballer - and not always an easy one, according to his mum. She said the family were suddenly in an environment that was "quite foreign".

"You're not prepared for some of the things that are coming your way," she explained.

Lewis-Skelly is among the 4% of the UK's academy players who go on to appear in the Premier League

Not wanting to feel deterred by this new footballing world, and wanting to support her son, Marcia enrolled in a master's qualification in football business.

"I wanted to understand the industry a little bit better," she said, and explained that it was through her studies that she saw "a big gap in parent knowledge and understanding" when it came to the world of professional football.

So, when her son was 14, Marcia created her own business to support families following in their footsteps. It was a big success.

Marcia says one of the highlights of her son's success in football is being able to share it with his 86-year-old grandmother

The company, Number 1 Fan Club, offers a paid consultation service where families can learn more about the intricacies of the football industry, and prepare themselves for what might follow.

The service prepares parents and youth players for everything from the role of scouts and agents, to academy and professional contracts.

"Players are assets of the organisation," Marcia said.

"Not understanding what part our child plays in that can sometimes trip parents up, because we think that it's a much easier system to navigate than it is, and it's quite complex."

Last year, Marcia hosted the UK's first national football parent conference, the second edition of which will take place in Manchester on 27 September.

She said her work appeared to be making an impact.

"We've had hugs, we've had tears.

"That just tells a thousand words that we're doing the right thing."

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