Mary Phillip facts for kids
Phillip playing for Arsenal in October 2006
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mary Rose Phillip | ||
| Date of birth | 14 March 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Peckham, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Peckham Town (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Lambeth Ladies | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1992–2000 | Millwall Lionesses | ||
| 2000–2004 | Fulham | ||
| 2004–2008 | Arsenal | ||
| 2008 | Chelsea | ||
| National team | |||
| 1995–2008 | England | 65 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2019– | Peckham Town | ||
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Mary Rose Phillip (born 14 March 1977) is a famous English football manager and former player. She currently manages Peckham Town, a men's team in the Kent County League.
Mary was a very flexible player. She could play in all four defensive spots and also in midfield. She even captained the England women's national team. She was the first black player to lead an England women's international football team. Until 2011, she was the only player to be part of two World Cup squads for England. During her playing career, she played 65 times for her country.
She had a very successful club career. She played for Millwall Lionesses, Fulham Ladies, Arsenal Ladies, and Chelsea Ladies. Mary won the FA Women's Cup with three different clubs, which is a big achievement! After she stopped playing in 2008, she became a coach and manager. In 2020, she made history again. She became the first female manager to lead a men's senior team to win a cup. In October 2024, Mary Phillip was honored by being added to the English Football Hall of Fame.
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Mary Phillip's Early Life
Mary Phillip was born and grew up in Peckham, England. She has a mixed heritage. Her father was a bus driver from Saint Lucia, and her mother was a primary school teacher from Ireland. Mary loved football from a very young age.
Mary Phillip's Club Career
Mary joined Millwall Lionesses when she was 12 years old. She later won the FA Women's Cup with them in 1997. Millwall beat Wembley in that final.
In 2000, she moved to Fulham Ladies and became a professional player. She was one of the first 16 women in the UK to play football professionally. She won her second FA Women's Cup with Fulham in 2002. Fulham beat Doncaster Belles 2–1 in that match. Mary became the captain at Fulham. She lifted the FA Women's Cup in May 2003 in front of 10,000 fans. That season, Fulham won three major trophies!
In July 2004, Mary joined Arsenal Ladies. She played as a central defender for four years. Her strong partnership with fellow defender Faye White helped Arsenal achieve huge success. They won many titles in England and in Europe. She won the FA Women's Cup again with Arsenal in 2006, 2007, and 2008. After the 2007–08 season, Mary left Arsenal. She then joined Chelsea Ladies for the start of the 2008–09 season. In October 2008, Mary Phillip decided to retire from playing football at age 31.
Mary Phillip's International Career
Mary Phillip first played for England in 1996. She was still with Millwall Lionesses at the time. She even played in the same team as Hope Powell, who later became the national coach. When she was 18, she got a surprise call to join the squad for the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup. At that time, she was expecting her first child. Mary played six games for England. Then, she took four years away from international football to have her two sons.
She returned to the England team in early 2002. Mary later captained England in two friendly matches against Sweden in February 2006. This happened when the usual captain, Faye White, was injured. She also captained England when White was out with a knee injury in 2006–07. During this time, England beat France to qualify for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. She was the first black player to captain an England women's international team.
After being chosen for the World Cup squad in China, Mary became the first English player to be part of two World Cup teams. In February 2008, Mary was one of eight Arsenal players who started in England's 2–1 friendly win over Norway. She played a total of 65 games for the national team.
The FA gave her the legacy number 114. This was part of a scheme to celebrate 50 years since England's first international match.
Mary Phillip's Managerial Career
After she stopped playing in 2008, Mary Phillip became a coach. She earned her high-level coaching qualification, the UEFA A Licence, in the 2010s. In 2019, she became the manager of Peckham Town, her local club. She had previously coached their Under-18s team and then the senior squad. In 2020, Peckham Town won the London Senior Trophy. This was the club's first cup win. It was also the first time a senior men's team won a cup with a female manager. In 2021, she helped Lydia Bedford coach the England women's Under-18 team. This was part of a special program for elite coaches.
Mary Phillip's Personal Life
Mary Phillip has two sons and two daughters. She has a health condition called multiple sclerosis, which was diagnosed in 2017.
Mary Phillip's Achievements
Player
Millwall Lionesses
- FA Women's Cup: 1996–97
- FA Women's Premier League Cup: 1996–97
Fulham
- FA Women's Premier League: 2002–03
- FA Women's Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03
- FA Women's Premier League Cup: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03
- Women's FA Community Shield: 2002–03, 2003–04
Arsenal
- FA Women's Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
- UEFA Women's Cup: 2006–07
- FA Women's Cup: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
- FA Women's Premier League Cup: 2004–05, 2006–07
- Women's FA Community Shield: 2005–06
Manager
Peckham Town
- London Senior Trophy: 2019–20
