Man United fan Helen Housby idolised David Beckham growing up... but now the England netball star loves inspiring the next generation herself as she gets a Sky Sports Editions cover shoot

England netball star Helen Housby is relishing her role model status for women's sport as she became the latest athlete to get a Sky Sports Editions cover shoot.

Housby, 28, has represented the Roses for almost a decade and famous scored the winning point in the last second when England beat Australia to win gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

They are set to take on South Africa in the three-match Vitality Netball International Series, with the first encounter taking place in Manchester on Tuesday night.

Housby, an avid Manchester United fan, grew up idolising David Beckham but now finds herself inspiring the next generation following the exponential growth in the popularity of women's sport.

'If you'd told me that's what I was going to be when I was a young girl, I would have been beside myself,' Housby told Sky Sports about her role model status.

'Growing up, a lot of my role models were men, because that's who I saw on the TV. I love football and I think we always saw the men getting the awards and being in the papers - that kind of thing.

'Now that female sport is on the rise and women are getting great contracts, and they're in the news and winning awards.

'It feels super special to know that you are a role model for younger girls, and I certainly wish I could have had more female role models growing up. So I think it's brilliant.'

Housby has noticed the change at both club level with New South Wales Swifts in Australia and with her country.

'When I'm out at Swifts, our general managers and CEOs are now starting to become female more often than male, and it's the same across England Netball,' she said.

'Having that representation, not just on the court, but off it in high-value roles, is really special.

'We love to see women at any level of an organisation.'

Using three words to describe her personality - 'energetic, competitive and loving' - Sky's fashion gurus styled Housby in a vivid red skirt and navy blazer as she posed with a retro netball.

Episode three of Sky Sports Editions is available to watch on Sky Sports YouTube