Two of England’s most high-profile female footballers have insisted they do not want to see mixed football introduced for adults, an idea currently being explored by the FA.
Rachel Yankey and Katie Chapman, who won more than 220 England caps between them, said they were strongly in favour of men and women playing separately from the age of 18, and would even recommend lowering the threshold to 16.
The two retired players will play alongside Jamie Carragher, John Terry and Michael Owen in the England XI for SoccerAid, becoming the first women to play in the annual charity match at Stamford Bridge on June 16.
Rachel Yankey (L) and Katie Chapman are against mixed football being introduced for adults
Former Brazil internationals Rosana dos Santos Augusto and Francielle Manoel Alberto have been named as the two female players who will play for the World XI with the likes of Didier Drogba and Eric Cantona.
Researchers from Brunel University will attend the match as part of their FA-commissioned research into the injury risk of mixed adult football at a recreational level.
It is thought that if there is not found to be an increased risk of injury, Sunday League football could become mixed.
Yet former Arsenal forward Yankey told Sportsmail she ‘wouldn’t be in favour’ of the idea.
‘For me, I don’t really understand why we want to put everybody together,’ she said.
‘In youth level, teach the best footballers, whether they are boys or girls, teach them exactly the same way so they can grow and learn off each other, but there has to be a point that they split off and go into their own separate genders.’
Chapman and Rachel Yankey can't understand why people want to put both genders together
Her views were echoed by ex-Chelsea midfielder Chapman, who said: ‘I think there is an age where females wouldn’t want to do that, at some sort of level.
‘When I grew up I played
