Claire Utley is an English female footballer. She currently plays for Whitley Bay Ladies after a long association with Doncaster Rovers Belles. She has represented England

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...

 at full international level.

Club career

In summer 1994 three players from Doncaster Belles' double-winning team left for Liverpool Ladies

Liverpool L.F.C.

Liverpool Ladies Football Club is a semi–professional women's football club affiliated with Liverpool Football Club and playing in the FA WSL...

. As a result Minsthorpe High School

Minsthorpe Community College

Minsthorpe Community College is a secondary school in South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, England. It is specifically for students aged eleven to eighteen. It is situated on Minsthorpe Lane, in the Minsthorpe district north of the town...

 pupil Utley was drafted into the first team as a fifteen-year-old centre-back, making her debut in a 7–1 home win against Millwall Lionesses

Millwall Lionesses L.F.C.

Millwall Lionesses Ladies Football Club were founded in March 1972 by Patricia Maslin and Rita Bullions. In a time when women's football was almost unheard of the group of women who made up the Lionesses were at first snubbed by Millwall FC but went on to became the first women's football team to...

 on the opening day of the 1994–95 season. In October 1994 she featured in the FA Women's Premier League Cup final, held over from the previous season, as the Belles were beaten 4–0 by 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...

.

Utley was nicknamed Des after Des Walker

Des Walker

Desmond Sinclair "Des" Walker is a former England international footballer who is best remembered for his spells with Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday...

. She suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Anterior cruciate ligament

The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...

 injury in April 2001 and missed a year of action, returning for the Belles' 2–1 defeat 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....

 in the 2002 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...

 final. She then spent a short spell at Leeds United

Leeds United L.F.C.

Leeds United Ladies Football Club are an English women's football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. They compete in the FA Women's Premier League National Division for the 2009–10 season and are one of two Yorkshire teams in the FA Women's Premier League National Division, along with...

 in 2002–03.

In 2004 Doncaster Belles suffered an exodus of players after a financial crisis, however, Utley and Vicky Exley

Vicky Exley

Vicky Exley is an English international women's footballer, who plays for Doncaster Rovers Belles in the FA WSL, the top division of women's football in England. She has also played over 50 times for England's national side.-Club career:...

 chose to remain loyal to the club.

She joined Whitley Bay ahead of season 2010–11.

International career

After breaking through at Doncaster Belles, Utley was thought likely to play for England "as sure as the sun shines on the Sahara."

Utley eventually won five caps for the senior England

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...

team.