Less than a fifth of adults recognise Steph Houghton as captain of the England women’s football team captain, research has found.

A poll of 2,000 adults in the UK discovered just three per cent have gone out to watch a women’s sports match, compared to 43 per cent who have seen male athletes.

However, eight in 10 young women say they feel more confident as a result of playing sports for their team.

And 71 per cent believe female sports stars should be celebrated equally alongside their male counterparts.

The research was commissioned by Boots, who has announced it will be sponsoring the national women’s teams of the five countries of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland – the first time one brand has sponsored all five nations.