A SIX-FOOT transgender woman who used to play men’s football has been selected to represent England.

Blair Hamilton, who was born male but identifies as female, currently plays for Hastings United Football Club women's team.

The 32-year-old, a PhD student at the University of Brighton, has been selected for the England Universities Sport Women's squad.

Hastings United Women tweeted: “The 'U's are delighted to announce Blair Hamilton has been selected for the England Universities Sport Women's Squad.”

Blair, who is also lead investigator of the Tavistock Transgender Athlete Study, shared her excitement over her selection on social media.

“Buzzing for this though,” she said.

In her player bio, Blair said her footballing ambition is to play at the “highest level I possibly can”.

Hastings United Women chairman Billy Wood told the Mail Online: “It's a touchy subject, but Blair's not one that shies away [from controversy]. And nor are we as a football club.”

Blair’s primary research interests are “the effects of testosterone suppression or supplementation on the athletic performance of transgender athletes”, according to her personal profile page on the University of Brighton’s website.

She completed her undergraduate honours degree in Exercise and Health Science at the University of Aberdeen in 2019.

During that time, she generated the first performance data for a transgender athlete in the sport of football.

Blair started her PhD in January 2020, examining the effects of gender-affirming hormone treatment on the sporting performance and physiology of transgender athletes in the School of Sport and Health Sciences at the university.

Blair’s international call-up follows the news that Emily Bridges – a cyclist who won medals at university level racing as a man before transitioning – has announced she will start competing in female events.

Earlier this week, the transgender cyclist said she has been “harassed and demonised” after being prevented from racing in a women’s event.

The 21-year-old had been due to race against Dame Laura Kenny and others at the National Omnium Championships in Derby.

However, British Cycling announced that world governing body the UCI had ruled her ineligible.

It is understood that although British Cycling had accepted she had met the requirements – current transgender regulations require riders to have had testosterone levels below five nanomoles per litre for a 12-month period prior to competition – the UCI has not yet granted her switch in licence.

In a statement on social media, Emily said:  “Despite the public announcement, I still have little clarity around their finding of my ineligibility under their regulations.

“I am an athlete, and I just want to race competitively again, within the regulations set by British Cycling and UCI after careful consideration of the research around transgender athletes.

“No one should have to choose between being who they are, and participating in the sport they love.”