Rachel Yankey

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Rachel Yankey
Rachel Yankey.jpg
Personal information
Full name Rachel Abba Yankey[1]
Date of birth 1 November 1979 (1979-11-01) (age 32)
Place of birth London, England
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)[2]
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Arsenal Ladies
Number 11
Youth career
1989– Mill Hill United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1996–2000 Arsenal Ladies
2000 → Laval Dynamites (loan)
2000–2004 Fulham Ladies
2004–2005 Birmingham Ladies (6)
2005 New Jersey Wildcats 1 (2)
2005– Arsenal Ladies[3]
National team‡
1997– England[4] 117 (18)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 May 2007.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24 November 2011

Rachel Abba Yankey, MBE (born 1 November 1979) is an English football player. She plays for the English side Arsenal, and for the England national team. She plays as a left-winger or forward, and wears the number 11 for Arsenal and England. She is of Ghanaian descent, from her father's side.

Yankey is the most-capped player currently in the England team. She was the second English female player, after Gillian Coultard, to win 100 caps.

Contents

[edit] Club career

Yankey began playing football as the only girl in a boy's team, before joining Mill Hill United at youth level. Her playing career began at the age of 16, playing for Arsenal, when she spent a short time on loan with Laval Dynamites, a Canadian team, and then moved to Fulham. It was here that she was registered as the first professional female footballer in England. She joined Birmingham City before the 2004–05 season, and then, after being released from Birmingham, rejoined Arsenal for the 2005–06 season after a short spell with the New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League in the United States. She, along with England team mate Rachel Unitt, played for the Wildcats for the last seven games of the season, and helped them win the W-League championship. In 2011 she helped Arsenal to another domestic treble.

[edit] International career

In August 1997 Yankey made her senior England debut in a 4–0 win over Scotland at Almondvale Stadium.[4]

Yankey became arguably the most famous female footballer in England,[5] having modelled new England kits, and appeared on the FA women's homepage header. She is also noted for appearing in the BBC's online BBC Sport 'Academy Masterclasses' mini-series, teaching young footballers basic soccer skills.

In May 2009, Yankey was one of the first 17 female players to be given central contracts by the Football Association.[6] However, in August 2009 she was surprisingly left out of coach Hope Powell's 22–player squad for Euro 2009[7] with Powell believing that her form did not justify a call–up. Yankey was also overlooked for the 2011 Women's World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Turkey. But after a return to form with Arsenal Ladies, she was recalled by Powell for the 2010 Cyprus Cup[8] and won her 90th and 91st caps — as a 76th minute substitute for Jessica Clarke in a 1–0 win over South Africa and as a starter in a 1–0 defeat to Canada.

A return to form at both club and international level saw Yankey being selected regularly again by Powell, and on 29 July 2010 Yankey became the second Englishwoman after Gillian Coultard to earn 100 caps during a home World Cup qualifier against Turkey. Yankey, who was captain for the night, scored a goal and played the entire 90 minutes as England won 3–0.[9]

In a World Cup warm–up friendly against the United States, Yankey hit the second goal in England's 2–1 win at Brisbane Road.[10] At the final tournament Yankey netted in England's 2–0 group B win over Japan after coming on as a half–time substitute.[11]

[edit] International goals

Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Scored
1 24 August 1997 Almondvale Stadium, Livingston  Scotland 4–0 Friendly 1
2 13 September 1998 Câmpina  Romania 4–1 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Qual. 1
3 28 November 2000 Brisbane Road, London  Ukraine 2–0 2001 UEFA Women's Championship Qual. 1
4 27 September 2001 Auestadion, Kassel  Germany 1–3 2003 FIFA World Cup Qual. 1
5 4 September 2003 Turf Moor, Burnley  Australia 1–0 Friendly 1
7 9 March 2005 Faro  Portugal 4–0 Algarve Cup 2
8 13 March 2005 Estádio Fernando Cabrita, Lagos  Mexico 5–0 Algarve Cup 1
9 27 October 2005 Tapolca  Hungary 13–0 2007 FIFA World Cup Qual. 1
10 31 August 2006 The Valley, London  Netherlands 4–0 2007 FIFA World Cup Qual. 1
11 8 March 2007 National Hockey Stadium, Milton Keynes  Russia 6–0 Friendly 1
12 17 May 2007 Roots Hall, Southend  Iceland 4–0 Friendly 1
13 11 February 2009 Larnaca  Finland 4–1 Friendly 1
14 29 July 2010 Bescot Stadium, Walsall  Turkey 3–0 2011 FIFA World Cup Qual. 1
15 2 April 2011 Brisbane Road, London  United States 2–1 Friendly 1
16 5 July 2011 Impuls Arena, Augsburg  Japan 2–0 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup 1
17 17 September 2011 Omladinski stadion, Belgrade  Serbia 2–2 2013 UEFA Women's Championship Qual. 1
18 22 September 2011 County Ground, Swindon  Slovenia 4–0 2013 UEFA Women's Championship Qual. 1

[edit] Honours

Yankey in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
Personal
  • In 2006 was awarded an MBE for services to football in the Queen's New Year honours list [12]
  • Nationwide International Player of the Year (2004–05) season.
Team
  • UEFA Women's Cup (2007) - Rachel was part of the Arsenal team that made history by being the first team outside Germany or Scandinavia to win it.[13]
  • FA Women's Cup - Rachel has won it nine times, seven with Arsenal (1998, 1999, 2006, 2007,[14] 2008, 2009, 2011), and twice with Fulham (2002, 2003).
  • FA Women's National Premier League - (Fulham) 2003, (Arsenal) 1997, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • FA Women's Premier League Cup - (Fulham) 2002, 2003, (Arsenal) 1998, 1999, 2007, 2009
  • W-League championship (United States) - (New Jersey Wildcats) 2005
  • Rachel was in the Arsenal team that were quadruple winners in 2006–07, winning the UEFA Women's Cup, FA Women's National Premier League, FA Women's Cup and the FA Women's Premier League Cup.[15][16]
  • She was part of Fulham's treble winning team of 2002–03, when they won the FA Women's Cup, the Women's League Cup and the FA Women's National Premier League.

[edit] Personal life

When not playing, or practicing, Yankey works as a coach in schools, teaching football to children.[17] It was reported that Yankey's middle name, Abba, came about as her Mother was a fan of the Swedish pop group,[1] but in 2010 Yankey indicated that it was actually related to her Ghanaian heritage.[18]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Sarah Winterburn (2005-06-11). "WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: YANKEY: WE AB TO BATTLE ON". News-Top stories (The Daily Mirror). http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2005/06/11/women-s-football-yankey-we-ab-to-battle-on-115875-15618333. Retrieved 2009-09-09. "Winger Rachel Abba Yankey that is, who has her mum to thank for the middle name given in 1979 when the Swedish group were the biggest band in the world." 
  2. ^ "#11 Rachel Yankey". The Sports Network. http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=soc-wwc/2007/bio.aspx?pid=2067. Retrieved 2009-09-08. 
  3. ^ "11. Rachel Yankey". Official website. Arsenal F.C.. http://www.arsenal.com/player.asp?thisNav=ladies&plid=60444&clid=4433&cpid=703. Retrieved 2007-04-21. 
  4. ^ a b "Rachel Yankey". Official website. The FA. http://www.thefa.com/England/All-Teams/Players/Y/Rachel-Yankey. Retrieved 2010-09-14. 
  5. ^ "England women Fixtures and Results, 2004/05". Cresswell Wanderers FC. http://www.freewebs.com/macacresswell4eva/englandwomen.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-11. 
  6. ^ "England Women awarded contracts". BBC Sport. 14-05-2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/women/8050189.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-29. 
  7. ^ Tony Leighton (04-08-2009). "England drop Yankey for Euro 2009". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/women/8184041.stm. Retrieved 10-08-2009. 
  8. ^ Tony Leighton (08-02-2010). "Arsenal's Rachel Yankey back in England's women squad". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/women/8504524.stm. Retrieved 09-02-2010. 
  9. ^ Tony Leighton (29-07-2010). "England 3-0 Turkey". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/women/8869495.stm. Retrieved 30-07-2010. 
  10. ^ Tony Leighton (2011-04-02). "England women warm up for World Cup with victory over USA". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/02/england-usa-womens-football. Retrieved 2011-05-22. 
  11. ^ Jonathan Stevenson (2011-07-05). "Women's World Cup: England 2-0 Japan". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14038052.stm. Retrieved 2011-07-10. 
  12. ^ "New Year's Honours". BBC.co.uk. 2005-12-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/4570808.stm. Retrieved November 4, 2006. 
  13. ^ Chris Harris (29 April 2007). "Match Report". Arsenal Official website. Arsenal. Archived from the original on 2007-05-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20070501031632/http://www.arsenal.com/matchreport.asp?thisNav=fixtures&fxid=311081. Retrieved 2007-05-09. 
  14. ^ Chris Harris (7 May 2007). "Match Report". Arsenal Official website. Arsenal. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927195702/http://www.arsenal.com/matchreport.asp?thisNav=ladies&fxid=306538&cpid=703&clid=4433&title=FA+Cup+Final:+Charlton+1-4+Arsenal. Retrieved 2007-05-09. 
  15. ^ Stuart Mawhinney (7 May 2007). "Arsenal clinch quadruple". FA women's cup. The Football Association. http://www.thefa.com/Womens/TheFAWomensCup/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/05/FAWCMatchReport.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-09. 
  16. ^ "Arsenal Ladies Honours". Arsenal Official website. Arsenal. Archived from the original on 2007-02-10. http://web.archive.org/web/20070210003424/http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=Ladies&article=344199&Title=Ladies+Honours. Retrieved 2007-05-09. 
  17. ^ Louise Hudson (2008-04-10). "Sportsister meets Arsenal and England’s Kelly Smith and Rachel Yankey". Sports Sister. http://www.sportsister.com/2008/04/10/sportsister-meets-arsenal-and-england%E2%80%99s-kelly-smith-and-rachel-yankey/. Retrieved 2010-10-13. 
  18. ^ Aron Lavery (2010-07-30). "Rachel Yankey: a ton of success for the England women’s star". Umbro.com. http://blog.umbro.com/2010/07/30/rachel-yankey-a-ton-of-success-for-the-england-womens-star/. Retrieved 2011-08-05. 

[edit] External links

FA Women's International Player of the Year
England squad – 2001 UEFA Women's European Championship
England
England squad – 2005 UEFA Women's European Championship
England
England squad – 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
England
England squad – 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
England
Arsenal L.F.C. – current squad


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