TRIBUTES have been paid to a former international women's footballer who scored England's first goal.

Prescot-born Sylvia Gore passed away on Friday, September 9 aged 71.

At aged 12, she was accepted by Manchester Corinthians, and later moved to Fodens.

She was in the Fodens team which defeated Southampton in the 1974 final of the Women's FA Cup.

In 1972, Sylvia had joined the England women’s national football team and made history by becoming the first female to score for England in the women's team's first official match, a comeback 3-2 win over Scotland.

Her incredible goal-scoring ability earned her the title the ‘Denis Law of Women’s Football'.

Sylvia retired from playing at the age of 35, and became a coach and manager. In 2000, she was made an MBE in recognition of her pioneering role in the sport.

She was also a member of the FA women's committee for two decades and in 1999 she won a special achievement award at the inaugural FA Women's Football Awards.

In 2014 she became the first female director at the Liverpool County FA. She was inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame in 2014 and in March was named an ambassador for the club Manchester City Women.

Dave Watkins, a director of the Liverpool County FA, said: "Sylvia was a great servant to the game and everybody who spoke to her loved her. She will be sadly missed by ladies football."

A funeral will take place for Sylvia in Prescot next week.