Ciara Mary Grant is an Irish female international football midfielder from Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

. She currently plays her club football for Arsenal Ladies

Arsenal L.F.C.

Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...

. She has been a member of both the treble and quadruple winning Arsenal sides.

Club career

Grant began her career with Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

 side Benfica. After a spell with St. Patrick's Athletic, she joined Arsenal Ladies

Arsenal L.F.C.

Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...

 in August 1998. She was employed as a development officer by the English club.

In her first season Grant scored an equaliser against Everton

Everton L.F.C.

Everton Ladies Football Club are a semi-professional women's association football team from the city of Liverpool, who compete in the FA WSL. They were runners-up to Arsenal in the 2009–10 Premier League National Division season. They have won the title once in 1998 and the FA Women's Cup on...

 as Arsenal won the Premier League Cup final 3-1. Arsenal also won the 1999 FA Women's Cup

FA Women's Cup

The Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England – designed as an exact equivalent to the FA Cup created 99 years earlier...

, but finished second to Croydon

Charlton Athletic L.F.C.

Charlton Athletic Women's Football Club play in the FA Women's Premier League National Division in England. Between 2000, the year it was founded from Croydon Women's F.C. and 2007, Charlton had one of the most successful women's teams in England...

 in the League. In the following campaign Arsenal and Grant retained the Premier League Cup, but lost in the FA Women's Cup semi-final and came third in the League. In 2000-01 Arsenal completed a domestic treble, with Grant providing an assist for the decisive goal in the FA Women's Cup final win over Fulham

Fulham L.F.C.

WFC Fulham, previously known as Fulham LFC, was a Ladies Football Club formerly associated with Fulham Football Club. The team were dissolved as of 16 May 2006, but were later re-established with independence from Fulham F.C....

.

That achievement was eclipsed in 2007, as Arsenal added the UEFA Women's Cup

UEFA Women's Cup

The UEFA Women's Champions League is the first international women's association football club competition for teams that play in UEFA nations. Initially known as the UEFA Women's Cup, the competition has been re-branded since the 2009-2010 edition as the UEFA Women's Champions League...

 to their trophy haul, completing an unprecedented quadruple. Grant remained an important part of the team, but had been converted from a midfielder to a central defender.

International career

Grant has won over 85 caps for Ireland

Republic of Ireland women's national football team

The Republic of Ireland women's national football team, selects players from both the 350 Women's Football Association of Ireland teams, in 21 affiliate leagues throughout the nation, and the international women's football community. The WFAI was founded in 1973...

 and, since 2000, has captained the national side. She made her debut as a teenager, in a 3-1 win over the Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands women's national football team

The Faroe Islands women's national football team are the women's team for the Faroe Islands.-World Cup record:-Squad: The squad that was called up for the matches against Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Lithuania on 11 April, 13 April and 16 April 2009. KÍ Klaksvík BK Skjold AB...

 at Richmond Park

Richmond Park (football ground)

Richmond Park is a football stadium in Dublin, Ireland. It is the home ground for Irish football team St. Patricks Athletic of the League of Ireland. It is situated in the Dublin suburb of Inchicore...

.

Honours

• FA Women's Premier League National Division
  FA Women's Premier League National Division
  The FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
  
  : 9

2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009-10.

• FA Women's Cup
  FA Women's Cup
  The Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England – designed as an exact equivalent to the FA Cup created 99 years earlier...
  
  : 7

1998–99, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09.

• Women's League Cup: 6

1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08.

• UEFA Women's Cup
  UEFA Women's Cup
  The UEFA Women's Champions League is the first international women's association football club competition for teams that play in UEFA nations. Initially known as the UEFA Women's Cup, the competition has been re-branded since the 2009-2010 edition as the UEFA Women's Champions League...
  
  : 1

2007