Stephanie Zambra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stephanie Zambra

Zambra with Republic of Ireland in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Stephanie Zambra
Birth name	Stephanie Roche
Date of birth	(1989-06-13) 13 June 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	Dublin, Ireland
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Shamrock Rovers
Number	10
Youth career
	Valeview Shankill FC
	Cabinteely Girls
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2007	Stella Maris
2007–2009	Dundalk City
2009–2011	Raheny United
2011–2014	Peamount United	71
2014	ASPTT Albi	10	(1)
2015	Houston Dash	2	(0)
2015–2018	Sunderland Ladies	26	(2)
2018–2020	C.F. Florentia	10	(0)
2020–2022	Peamount United
2022–2024	Shamrock Rovers Women
International career‡
2008–2022	Republic of Ireland	58	(14)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 July 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 September 2022

Stephanie Zambra (born 13 June 1989), whose maiden name was Roche, is a retired Irish footballer. She played as a striker for teams like Shamrock Rovers in Dublin and the Republic of Ireland women's national football team.

Stephanie became famous worldwide for a goal she scored in October 2013. Playing for Peamount United in the Women's National League, her amazing goal was chosen as a runner-up for the 2014 FIFA Puskás Award. This award celebrates the best goal of the year from anywhere in the world.

During her club career, Stephanie played for several teams in Ireland. She had a very successful time at Peamount United from 2011 to 2014. She also played briefly for Division 1 Féminine team ASPTT Albi in France in 2014 and for National Women's Soccer League club Houston Dash in the USA in 2015. She then spent a longer period with FA WSL club Sunderland from 2015 to 2018, though injuries and illness affected her time there. After that, she played for a year in Italy with Florentia before returning to Peamount United in February 2020. In December 2022, she joined the newly re-formed Shamrock Rovers team.

Stephanie earned her first senior international appearance, known as a cap, in October 2008. She went on to play more than 50 games for the Republic of Ireland national team. She was out of action for almost two years after breaking her leg during a World Cup qualifying campaign. However, she was called back to the team in August 2019.

In February 2020, Stephanie mentioned that her famous goal brought her many great opportunities. But she also said that much of her career after that was affected by bad luck, especially with injuries. Outside of playing, she has worked as a television expert for RTÉ. She has helped cover major football events like the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments, and UEFA Euro 2020.

Early Life and Football Beginnings

Stephanie Zambra started playing football on the streets of her hometown, Shankill, often with boys. She briefly played for Valeview Shankill FC. However, rules against mixed-gender teams meant she had to leave. She then joined Cabinteely Girls. Later, she moved to Stella Maris F.C., where she formed a strong attacking partnership with Áine O'Gorman in the Under-18 team.

In 2008, Stephanie received a scholarship from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to attend Sallynoggin College. She was also part of an Irish Colleges team that traveled to Scotland for two friendly matches in April 2009.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Her Senior Career

In June 2007, Stephanie joined Dundalk City. She had a fantastic start, scoring two goals in her very first game, a 5–2 win against Benfica. After playing for Raheny United, Stephanie had a trial with the English FA WSL club Doncaster Rovers Belles in February 2011. She played in a friendly match where her team won 4–0 against Blackburn Rovers.

Success with Peamount United

In the first-ever Women's National League season (2011–12), Stephanie was the top scorer, winning the Golden Boot award. She scored 26 goals for Peamount United, who also became champions that year. She and teammate Sara Lawlor, who was named Player of the Year, formed a very strong attacking duo. Stephanie also scored the winning goal in the WNL Cup final, helping Peamount win both the league and the cup.

In August 2011, Stephanie played for Peamount United in the 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League. After Peamount was knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain Féminine, Stephanie turned down an offer to transfer to FC Vendenheim. She won the league Golden Boot again in the 2013–14 season, taking it back from her teammate Sara Lawlor.

The Famous FIFA Puskás Award Goal

Stephanie scored an incredible goal for Peamount against Wexford Youths in October 2013. This goal quickly became very popular online, going viral on YouTube, and brought her international attention. It was her first goal of that WNL season. Her team manager, Eileen Gleeson, uploaded the video because the matches were not shown on TV. Stephanie was happy the goal was recorded. She said it was good for the Women's National League and for girls' football in Ireland, and she was glad to be a part of that.

Later that year, she was chosen as a finalist for the 2014 FIFA Puskás Award, which honors the best goal of the year. She was the only female player nominated. After an initial public vote, Stephanie's goal was one of the three finalists, alongside goals from James Rodríguez and Robin van Persie. Both of their goals were scored in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Stephanie was the sixth female player ever nominated for the award and the first to reach the final three. At the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or awards ceremony on 12 January 2015, Stephanie finished in second place for the FIFA Puskás Award, receiving 33% of the votes. James Rodríguez won the award.

Playing in France and the USA

In June 2014, Stephanie signed with ASPTT Albi, a team that had just been promoted to the Division 1 Féminine in France. She found it hard to settle in France. She scored only one goal in ten games before leaving the club, around the same time her Puskás Award nomination was announced. Stephanie later explained that her salary in France was very low because she had negotiated her own contract. She also felt frustrated when the team left for a friendly match without telling her the travel plans. The "final straw" was when the team had to wear uncomfortable outfits for a promotional photo shoot.

On 18 February 2015, Stephanie signed with the Houston Dash in the USA. The Dash coach, Randy Waldrum, praised Stephanie, calling her "possibly the best goalscorer to come out of Ireland since Olivia O'Toole". However, Stephanie only made two short appearances as a substitute in the National Women's Soccer League. She was released by the Houston Dash on 20 May 2015, just three months into her one-year contract. Stephanie was "shocked and disappointed" but understood the club's reasons. Even though Waldrum was happy with her progress, the team urgently needed to improve its defense. He had to let Stephanie go to make space for new defensive players.

Time with Sunderland

Stephanie signed a two-year contract with FA WSL club Sunderland A.F.C. Ladies on 17 June 2015. Her games in the 2016 FA WSL season were limited due to illness. She developed a throat infection that eventually required surgery to remove her tonsils. In September 2017, she broke her leg while playing for her national team. Sunderland released her from her contract in Summer 2018 when the club could not get a license to play in the top two women's football leagues in England. At Sunderland, Stephanie was often asked to play out of her usual position, sometimes as a wing-back, which she did not enjoy.

Playing in Italy

Stephanie agreed to transfer to the Italian Serie A club C.F. Florentia in November 2018. An ankle injury slowed her down at the start. She only started one of her four games in the rest of the 2018–19 Serie A season. For the 2019–20 season, the club moved from Florence to San Gimignano. The new season looked promising for Stephanie when she scored eight goals in pre-season games. However, she did not score any goals in seven official league and cup matches.

She became increasingly unhappy with certain things at the club and decided to leave after one year. Stephanie later explained that she had not been paid according to her contract. As of October 2021, Florentia still owed her two months' wages.

Returning to Peamount United

In February 2020, Stephanie re-signed with Peamount United. By moving back to the Women's National League, she wanted to be closer to her friends and family. She also wanted to plan for her life after football and win back her spot on the national team. When the 2020 Women's National League season finally started (it was delayed), she faced more challenges. First, she had a cracked rib, then a calf injury. She also missed a UEFA Women's Champions League game against Glasgow City in November 2020 due to contact tracing rules.

However, a consistent run of games at the end of the season saw Stephanie return to her best form. She scored two goals and was named Player of the Match in Peamount's 6–0 win over Cork City in the 2020 FAI Women's Cup Final.

Stephanie's appearance on the reality television show Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week affected her preparation for the 2021 Women's National League season. Even though she scored nine goals in 26 games, tiredness and small injuries continued to reduce how effective she was. Peamount lost their WNL title to Shelbourne on the very last day of the season. Despite this, Peamount manager James O'Callaghan was happy when Stephanie agreed to stay for the 2022 Women's National League season. She turned down offers from DLR Waves and Bohemians. Stephanie started the new season in great form, scoring four goals in five games and being named WNL Player of the Month for March 2022. She finished the season with 16 goals. Peamount came third in the league, behind Shelbourne and Athlone Town.

Joining Shamrock Rovers

On 8 December 2022, it was announced that Stephanie Zambra would join the newly re-formed Shamrock Rovers women's team for the 2023 season. She followed other former Peamount players like Áine O'Gorman and Summer Lawless to the Tallaght-based club. Stephanie had a busy schedule because she also agreed to take part in the sixth season of Dancing with the Stars while training with her new team. She also announced that she would play football under her married name, Stephanie Zambra, starting from the 2023 season.

Retirement from Football

Stephanie Zambra announced that she was retiring from professional football on 10 October 2024.

International Career for Ireland

Youth Teams

Stephanie Zambra played for the Republic of Ireland at youth levels. She said she was "heartbroken" when she just missed out on the final trials for the Ireland Under-15 team. But then she made the Under-17 team. In August 2005, she scored the winning goal on her Under-19 debut, helping her team win 3–2 against Finland at Richmond Park. Over three seasons with the Under-19 team, Stephanie was a regular player and the team's top goal scorer.

Senior National Team

Stephanie's first game for the senior national team was in October 2008. It was a 3–0 loss to Iceland in a UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying play-off match. She came on as a substitute for the last five minutes of the game. In September 2009, Stephanie scored her first senior goal for Ireland. It was a late winning goal in a 2–1 World Cup qualifying game against Kazakhstan at Turners Cross. The next month, Stephanie started her first game for the Irish senior team in the return match against Kazakhstan. She scored again, the equaliser, in another 2–1 win for Ireland. Stephanie scored her third goal for Ireland during a friendly match at home against France in March 2010. Despite her goal, France won 2–1.

National coach Susan Ronan did not include Stephanie in the squad for a friendly game against Austria in June 2013, or for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers that followed. This made Stephanie disappointed, but she was determined to win her place back. After Stephanie started scoring many goals for her club team, Ronan called her back to the national squad in October 2013.

On 5 April 2014, in a 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier against Germany at Tallaght Stadium, Stephanie scored a goal in the 89th minute to make the score 2–2. However, Ireland lost 3–2 when Germany scored in injury time. In the second-to-last qualifying game, Stephanie scored her own injury-time goal to secure a 1–0 victory over Slovakia in Senec on 13 September 2014.

Stephanie continued to be chosen by Sue Ronan for Ireland's UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying Group 2 matches. In June 2016, Stephanie scored three goals, a hat-trick, in Ireland's 9–0 win over Montenegro. This brought her total to four goals in four days, as she had also scored Ireland's only goal in a 4–1 loss to Finland. When Ronan decided to step down as national team coach, Stephanie scored a "stunning 25-yard free-kick" in her farewell match. Ireland won that game 2–1 against the Basque Country at Tallaght Stadium on 26 November 2016.

Under Ronan's replacement, Colin Bell, Stephanie kept her place in the national team. She scored in Bell's first game in charge, a 2–0 win over the Czech Republic at the 2017 Cyprus Cup on 1 March 2017. The next month, Stephanie was part of a group of 13 players who successfully fought for much better working conditions for Ireland's female national team players. This followed a long disagreement with the Football Association of Ireland. She then scored the only goal from a penalty kick as Ireland beat Slovakia in a friendly match that had almost been cancelled due to the dispute.

In Ireland's first 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier, a 2–0 win over Northern Ireland, Stephanie broke her tibia (shin bone). She returned to training in January 2018 but felt knee pain when kicking the ball. Further scans found another fracture and meniscus damage. In February 2019, Stephanie was annoyed by a newspaper report that incorrectly said she had retired from international football. She clarified, "I'm not after retiring, I'm just injured like!"

Ireland's interim manager Tom O'Connor called Stephanie back to the team after almost two years. This was for the first UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifier against Montenegro on 3 September 2019. Stephanie came on as a late substitute in Ireland's 1–1 draw in Greece on 12 November 2019. However, she was then left out by the new head coach, Vera Pauw, for the games against Greece and Montenegro in March 2020. When Heather Payne got injured in the first match, Stephanie was called up as her replacement for the game in Montenegro.

After an injury to Kyra Carusa, Pauw recalled Stephanie in June 2022 for a friendly against the Philippines in Turkey, and a 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group A game against Georgia. Stephanie had continued to attend training sessions even when she wasn't in the national team, and Pauw praised her for her dedication. In Ireland's 1–0 win over the Philippines, Stephanie started her first national team game since 2017.

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goals first. Score column indicates score after each Zambra goal. Updated as of 16 May 2023.

International goals scored by Stephanie Zambra

No.	Cap	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	4	24 September 2009	Turners Cross, Cork	Kazakhstan	2-1	2-1	2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Qual.
2	5	29 October 2009	Zhetysu Stadium, Taldykorgan	Kazakhstan	1-1	2-1
3	6	25 February 2010	Richmond Park, Dublin	France	1-1	1-2	Friendly
4	28	10 March 2014	Tasos Markou, Paralimni	Switzerland	2-1	2-1	2014 Cyprus Women's Cup
5	29	5 April 2014	Tallaght Stadium, Dublin	Germany	2-2	2-3	2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Qual.
6	34	13 September 2014	NTC Senec, Senec	Slovakia	1-0	1-0
7	38	11 March 2015	Valbruna, Rovinj	Costa Rica	1-0	2-1	2015 Istria Cup
8	45	7 April 2016	Stadion pod Malim brdom, Petrovac	Montenegro	5-0	5-0	2017 UEFA Women's Championship Qual.
9	47	3 June 2016	Tehtaan kenttä, Valkeakoski	Finland	1-3	1-4
10	48	7 June 2016	Tallaght Stadium, Dublin	Montenegro	3-0	9-0
11					7-0
12					8-0
13	51	1 March 2017	Tasos Markou, Paralimni	Czech Republic	2-0	2-0	2017 Cyprus Women's Cup
14	55	10 April 2017	Tallaght Stadium, Dublin	Slovenia	1-0	1-0	Friendly

Personal Life

When she scored her famous goal in October 2013, Stephanie had been in a relationship with fellow footballer Dean Zambra for almost seven years. She was also working as an intern on the Football Association of Ireland's (FAI) Futsal project. Stephanie is a big fan of Manchester United. Stephanie and Dean got married in June 2022, after being together for 15 years.

Awards and Achievements

Player Honours

Peamount United

• Women's National League: 2011–12, 2020
• FAI Women's Cup: 2020

Individual Awards

• FIFA Puskás Award (2nd place) 2014
• FAI Women's National League Top Goalscorer: 2011–12, 2013–14

See also

In Spanish: Stephanie Roche para niños