Rachel Yankey facts for kids
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Yankey in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rachel Aba Yankey | ||
| Date of birth | 1 November 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger, forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1996 | Mill Hill United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–2000 | Arsenal Ladies | 47 | (8) |
| 2000 | → Laval Dynamites (loan) | 25 | (10) |
| 2000–2004 | Fulham Ladies | 15 | (6) |
| 2004–2005 | Birmingham Ladies | 13 | (7) |
| 2005 | New Jersey Wildcats | 29 | (5) |
| 2005–2016 | Arsenal Ladies | 151 | (43) |
| 2016 | → Notts County Ladies (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| Total | 285 | (79) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997–2013 | England | 129 | (19) |
| 2012 | Great Britain | 5 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2019 | London Bees | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rachel Aba Yankey (born 1 November 1979) is a famous former English footballer. She played as a winger or forward.
Rachel is best known for playing many seasons with Arsenal Ladies. She is considered one of their legends. She won many awards in women's football. These include the FA Women's National Premier League seven times. She also won the FA WSL twice. Rachel won the FA Women's Cup eleven times. She also won the FA Women's Premier League Cup six times. She even won the UEFA Women's Cup once. She achieved these wins while playing for Arsenal and Fulham Ladies.
Rachel first played for the England national team in 1997. She played 129 games for England. At one point, she was the most capped player for England. This meant she had played more games than any other English footballer, male or female. She was the second English female player to play 100 international games. Rachel was also part of the Great Britain squad. They played in the 2012 London Olympics.
After her playing career, Rachel briefly worked as a coach. She managed the London Bees football team from February to May 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Rachel Yankey started playing football when she was very young. She was the only girl on a boys' team. When she was eight, she even shaved her hair. She pretended to be a boy named "Ray" so she could keep playing with the boys. She played like this for two years before people found out she was a girl.
Rachel joined Mill Hill United at a young age. This happened after the club's manager saw her play. She also played for Brent in the London Youth Games. She was later added to their Hall of Fame in 2011.
Playing for Clubs
Rachel Yankey started her professional football career at 16. She began playing for Arsenal. She also spent a short time playing for Laval Dynamites. This was a Canadian team. In 2000, she moved to Fulham.
At Fulham, Rachel became the first professional female footballer in England. After Fulham, she joined Birmingham City for the 2004–05 season. Then, she played briefly for the New Jersey Wildcats in the United States. Rachel helped the Wildcats win the W-League championship. She then returned to Arsenal for the 2005–06 season. In 2011, she helped Arsenal win three major trophies in one season.
In January 2014, Rachel signed a new two-year contract with Arsenal. The club's general manager, Vic Akers, praised her. He said she was a very important part of the team. He also said her skills and experience were very valuable. Rachel left Arsenal in December 2016 when her contract ended.
Playing for England
In August 1997, Rachel Yankey played her first game for the England senior team. She scored a goal in a 4–0 win against Scotland.
Rachel became one of England's most famous female footballers. She appeared in advertisements for new England kits. She also taught basic football skills in a BBC Sport online series called 'Academy Masterclasses'.
In May 2009, Rachel was one of the first 17 female players to get a central contract from The Football Association. This meant they were paid to play for England. However, in August 2009, she was not chosen for the Euro 2009 squad. The coach, Hope Powell, felt her performance was not good enough. Rachel was also not picked for the 2011 World Cup qualifiers. But after playing well for Arsenal, she was called back to the England team in 2010.
On 29 July 2010, Rachel Yankey made her 100th appearance for England. She was the second Englishwoman to reach this milestone. She was the captain for that game against Turkey. England won 3–0, and Rachel scored a goal.
In a warm-up game for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup against the United States, Rachel scored a goal. England won that game 2–1. At the World Cup tournament, Rachel scored another goal against Japan.
In June 2012, Rachel played her 119th game for England. This matched the record held by Gillian Coultard. On 19 September 2012, she set a new record with 120 caps. In June 2013, Rachel broke Peter Shilton's record of 125 caps. She became the most capped English footballer ever. She played in the England squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013.
The new England manager, Mark Sampson, did not pick Rachel for his first squad in December 2013. He said that she could still return to the team in the future.
In June 2012, Rachel was chosen for the Great Britain squad. They played in the 2012 London Olympics.
Coaching and Personal Life
Rachel Yankey became a first team coach for London Bees in June 2018. In February 2019, she was made the Head Coach. She left the club in May 2019.
When Rachel is not playing or coaching, she works with children. She teaches football in schools. She also hosted a CBeebies TV show called Footy Pups. Her middle name, Aba, is related to her Ghanaian heritage.
Honours and Awards
Arsenal
- FA Women's National Premier League (6): 1996–97, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
- FA Women's Cup (9): 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014
- FA Women's Premier League Cup: 1998, 1999, 2007, 2009
- UEFA Women's Cup: 2007
- FA WSL: 2011, 2012
Fulham
- FA Women's National Premier League: 2002–03
- FA Women's Cup: 2002, 2003
- FA Women's Premier League Cup: 2002, 2003
New Jersey Wildcats
- W-League: 2005
Individual Awards
- Nationwide International Player of the Year (2004–05 season)
- London Youth Games Hall of Famer (Class of 2011)
- Women's Super League Hall of Fame: 2021
Rachel Yankey received two special awards from the British government for her services to football. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2006. She was then made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2014.
