Rachel Yankey
Encyclopedia
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 Ghana
ian 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.
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.
debut in a 4–0 win over Scotland
at Almondvale Stadium.
Yankey became arguably the most famous female footballer in England, 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. However, in August 2009 she was surprisingly left out of coach Hope Powell
's 22–player squad for Euro 2009 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
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.
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. At the final tournament Yankey netted in England's 2–0 group B win over Japan
after coming on as a half–time substitute.
Team
ren. It was reported that Yankey's middle name, Abba, came about as her Mother was a fan of the Swedish pop group
, but in 2010 Yankey indicated that it was actually related to her Ghanaian heritage.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1 November 1979) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player. She plays for the English side Arsenal
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...
, and for the England national team
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
. She plays as a left-winger
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
or forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, and wears the number 11 for Arsenal and England. She is of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian 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
Gillian Coultard
Gillian Coultard is a retired English football player, and former England captain. She is England Women's most capped international, with 119 appearances; she is also the highest capped outfield England international ever, with only goalkeeper Peter Shilton gaining more with 125...
, to win 100 caps.
Club career
Yankey began playing football as the only girl in a boy's team, before joining Mill HillMill Hill
Mill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburb situated 9 miles north west of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until it was absorbed by London...
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
Laval Dynamites
Laval Dynamites were a Canadian soccer team, founded in 1997. The men team was a member of the Canadian Professional Soccer League/Canadian Soccer League, the highest professional soccer league in Canada, and played in the National Division. The team played as the Montreal Dynamites in 2001 and...
, a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
team, and then moved to 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....
. It was here that she was registered as the first professional female footballer in England. She joined Birmingham City
Birmingham City L.F.C.
Birmingham City L.F.C. is a semi-professional English Women's football club who are affiliated to Birmingham City F.C.. They play their home games at Knights Lane, the home of Stratford Town F.C., and were named as founder members of the FA Women's Super League which started in 2011.-History:The...
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
New Jersey Wildcats
New Jersey Wildcats is an American women’s soccer team, founded by Vincent Baldino in 1996. The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference against the D.C...
of the W-League
W-League
The USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She, along with England team mate Rachel Unitt
Rachel Unitt
Rachel Elizabeth Unitt is an English football player. She currently plays as a left back for England Women and Everton Ladies.-Club career:...
, 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.
International career
In August 1997 Yankey made her senior EnglandEngland women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
debut in a 4–0 win over Scotland
Scotland women's national football team
The Scotland women's national football team represents Scotland in international women's football. They have yet to qualify for the final stages of the World Cup or European Championships and are currently ranked 23rd in the world and 14th in Europe....
at Almondvale Stadium.
Yankey became arguably the most famous female footballer in England, having modelled new England kits, and appeared on the FA women's homepage header. She is also noted for appearing in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
'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. However, in August 2009 she was surprisingly left out of coach Hope Powell
Hope Powell
Hope Patricia Powell, CBE is the coach of the England women's national football team. Powell is an ‘A’ License coach and in 2003 became the first woman to achieve the UEFA Pro Licence - the highest coaching award available.-Early life:Powell was educated at Bethany School and went on to take A...
's 22–player squad for Euro 2009 with Powell believing that her form did not justify a call–up. Yankey was also overlooked for the 2011 Women's World Cup qualifiers
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)
In the UEFA qualification for 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, 41 entrants were drawn into eight groups, from which the group winners advanced to a play-off round...
against Malta
Malta women's national football team
The Malta women's national football team represents the Malta Football Association in international football matches approved by UEFA. In 2003, the team's played its first competitive international match, in a game against Romania, which the latter won 3–0....
and Turkey
Turkey women's national football team
The Turkey women's national football team represents Turkey in international women's football.-World Cup record:...
. But after a return to form with Arsenal Ladies, she was recalled by Powell for the 2010 Cyprus Cup
Cyprus Cup
The Cypriot Cup or Cyprus Coca Cola Cup is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association. It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club teams. The sponsor of the competition is...
and won her 90th and 91st caps — as a 76th minute substitute for Jessica Clarke
Jessica Clarke
Jessica Anne "Jess" Clarke is an English female international football midfielder. A pacy winger, she plays her club football in the FA WSL for Lincoln Ladies.-Club career:...
in a 1–0 win over South Africa
South Africa women's national football team
The South Africa national women's football team, nicknamed Banyana Banyana , is the national team of South Africa and is controlled by the South African Football Association.Their first official match was held in 30 May 1993 against Swaziland....
and as a starter in a 1–0 defeat to Canada
Canada women's national soccer team
The Canada women's national soccer team is overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association. The team reached its all-time high of 6th in the March 2011 rankings. The team reached international prominence finishing in 4th place at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2003, losing to their archrival American team...
.
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
Gillian Coultard
Gillian Coultard is a retired English football player, and former England captain. She is England Women's most capped international, with 119 appearances; she is also the highest capped outfield England international ever, with only goalkeeper Peter Shilton gaining more with 125...
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.
In a World Cup warm–up friendly against the United States
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
, Yankey hit the second goal in England's 2–1 win at Brisbane Road. At the final tournament Yankey netted in England's 2–0 group B win over Japan
Japan women's national football team
The Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan , is a selection of the best female players in Japan and is run by the Japan Football Association . Japan defeated the U.S...
after coming on as a half–time substitute.
International goals
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Scored 1 24 August 1997 Almondvale Stadium, Livingston Livingston, ScotlandLivingston is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is the fourth post-WWII new town to be built in Scotland, designated in 1962. It is about 15 miles west of Edinburgh and 30 miles east of Glasgow, and is bordered by the towns of Broxburn to the northeast and Bathgate to the northwest.Livingston...
4–0 Friendly 1 2 13 September 1998 Câmpina CâmpinaCâmpina is a city in Prahova county, Romania, north of the county seat Ploieşti, located on the main route between Wallachia and Transylvania. In 2003, the city celebrated 500 years since its founding.-History:...
4–1 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Qual. 1 3 28 November 2000 Brisbane Road, London LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
2–0 2001 UEFA Women's Championship Qual. 2001 UEFA Women's Championship qualificationThe qualification for the UEFA Women's Euro 2001 was held between August 21, 1999 & November 28, 2000. The first-placed of the group stage qualified directly...
1 4 27 September 2001 Auestadion AuestadionAuestadion is a multi-use stadium in Kassel, Germany. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of KSV Hessen Kassel. The stadium is able to hold 17,993 people. It was opened August 23, 1953 and renovated 1983-1993 and 2006-2008....
, KasselKasselKassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
1–3 2003 FIFA World Cup Qual. 1 5 4 September 2003 Turf Moor Turf MoorTurf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
, BurnleyBurnleyBurnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
1–0 Friendly 1 7 9 March 2005 Faro Faro, PortugalFaro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
4–0 Algarve Cup Algarve CupThe Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football . Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious women's football events, alongside the Women's World Cup and Women's Olympic Football...
2 8 13 March 2005 Estádio Fernando Cabrita, Lagos LagosLagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
5–0 Algarve Cup Algarve CupThe Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football . Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious women's football events, alongside the Women's World Cup and Women's Olympic Football...
1 9 27 October 2005 Tapolca TapolcaTapolca is a town in Veszprém county, Hungary, close to Lake Balaton. It is located at around .The town has a separate district approximately 5 km to the East called Tapolca-Diszel.- The Lake Cave :...
13–0 2007 FIFA World Cup Qual. 1 10 31 August 2006 The Valley, London LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
4–0 2007 FIFA World Cup Qual. 1 11 8 March 2007 National Hockey Stadium National Hockey StadiumThe National Hockey Stadium was a sports stadium in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, with a nominal capacity of around 4,000 seats . It was used by England Hockey as their national stadium from 1995 to 2003 and as a professional football stadium from 2003 to 2007...
, Milton KeynesMilton KeynesMilton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
6–0 Friendly 1 12 17 May 2007 Roots Hall Roots HallRoots Hall is a multi-use sports stadium in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, primarily used for football games and is the home of the Football League Two club Southend United. With a capacity of 12,392 Roots Hall is the largest football stadium in Essex, and is the current venue for the final of...
, Southend4–0 Friendly 1 13 11 February 2009 Larnaca LarnacaLarnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
4–1 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
1 14 29 July 2010 Bescot Stadium Bescot StadiumBescot Stadium, also known as the Banks's Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is the home ground of Walsall Football Club. It was built in 1989-90 by GMI Construction with a reported build cost of £4.5m...
, WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
3–0 2011 FIFA World Cup Qual. 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)In the UEFA qualification for 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, 41 entrants were drawn into eight groups, from which the group winners advanced to a play-off round...
1 15 2 April 2011 Brisbane Road, London LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
2–1 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
1 16 5 July 2011 Impuls Arena Impuls ArenaSGL arena, until 1 July 2011 the Impuls Arena, is a football stadium in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. It is used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of FC Augsburg. The stadium has a capacity of 30,660 with 19,060 seats and standing room for 11,034. A second phase of construction...
, AugsburgAugsburgAugsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
2–0 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup 1 17 17 September 2011 Omladinski stadion Omladinski StadionOmladinski stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Belgrade, Serbia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of OFK Beograd. The stadium is capable of seating up to 14,600 people. It often gets a lot of attendance thanks to the Blue Union ultras group of supporters...
, BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
2–2 2013 UEFA Women's Championship Qual. UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifyingThe Qualifying rounds for the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 will determine which 11 teams join Sweden, the hosts of the 2013 tournament, to play for the UEFA Women's Championship.-Tie breakers:...
1 18 22 September 2011 County Ground, Swindon County Ground, SwindonThe County Ground is a stadium located near the town centre of Swindon, England. It is home to Swindon Town Football Club and has been for over a century.The current capacity is 15,728, all-seated...
4–0 2013 UEFA Women's Championship Qual. UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifyingThe Qualifying rounds for the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 will determine which 11 teams join Sweden, the hosts of the 2013 tournament, to play for the UEFA Women's Championship.-Tie breakers:...
1
Honours
Personal- In 2006 was awarded an MBE for services to football in the Queen'sElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
New Year honours list - Nationwide International Player of the Year (2004–05) season.
Team
- UEFA Women's CupUEFA Women's CupThe 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...
(2007) - Rachel was part of the Arsenal team that made history by being the first team outside Germany or Scandinavia to win it. - FA Women's CupFA Women's CupThe 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...
- Rachel has won it nine times, seven with Arsenal (1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), and twice with Fulham (20022002 FA Women's Cup FinalThe 2002 FA Women's Cup Final was the 32nd final of the FA Women's Cup, England's primary cup competition for women's football teams. The showpiece event was played between Doncaster Belles and Fulham Ladies at Selhurst Park in London on 6 May 2002. Fulham made its second final appearance, after...
, 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-LeagueW-LeagueThe USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer....
championship (United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - (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.
- 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.
Personal life
When not playing, or practicing, Yankey works as a coach in schools, teaching football to childChild
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren. It was reported that Yankey's middle name, Abba, came about as her Mother was a fan of the Swedish pop group
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, but in 2010 Yankey indicated that it was actually related to her Ghanaian heritage.
External links
- Short profile - from TheFA.com
- Player page - from the Arsenal homepage
- Short profile - from the New Jersey Wildcats homepage
- BBC Academy - which contains the Masterclasses Mini-Series