Faye White
Encyclopedia
Faye Deborah White, MBE
(born 2 February 1978) is an English
footballer who plays for Arsenal Ladies
in the FA Women's Super League and the England women's national football team
as a central defender. One of the most recognised and respected players in the women’s game, Faye has been a commanding presence at the heart of the Arsenal and England defences since the late 1990s.
, Surrey
and attended Yattendon Middle School and Oakwood School, Horley
.
. After three years of playing with her brother and his team-mates Faye decided to go to an all-girls coaching session and it was here that her path to the Arsenal Ladies
team began, as she met Jim Muir, the coach of a local girls’ side Horsham Ladies
. Faye very quickly worked her way into the reserves and became a first-team player aged just 14.
In the 1996–97 season Faye joined Arsenal Ladies
and it didn’t take her long to make another big impact, earning her first international cap vs Scotland. White broke into the first team, cementing a position at the heart of Arsenal's central defence. She collected her first trophy that year, the FA Women's Premier League
.
In 1997-98, due to White's performances in north London she was named the Premier League Player of the Year. Arsenal won the FA Women's Cup
and Premier League Cup
.
White has amassed 31 winners' medals at club competition level to date, winning the inaugural FA Women's Super League in 2011, the FA Women's Premier League 10 times (including seven consecutive years from 2003-04 to 2009-10), the FA Women's Cup nine times and the League Cup six times.
Whilst captaining the club the team has completed one "quadruple" (Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup & the UEFA Women's Cup), two "trebles" (all three major domestic competitions) and four "doubles" (League title & FA Cup).
début against Scotland in 1997, aged 19, followed by her full début against France in 1998 when she was named player of the match. White went on to represent her country in her first major tournament at UEFA Euro 2001
in Germany.
In 2002, she was named as England captain against Nigeria
, during the qualification campaign for 2003 World Cup in USA, for which England
narrowly failed to qualify, losing in a play-off over two legs versus France.
She captained England
at UEFA Euro 2005
in England, 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China, UEFA Euro 2009 in Finland & 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.
In 2009, White, in her fourth major championship finals, led England
to the final of Euro 2009 in Finland, where the team lost out 6–2 to reigning World and European Champions, Germany
. She wore a protective face mask in the final after breaking her cheekbone in the quarter-final win over Finland
.
In the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Quarter Final penalty shoot-out versus France, White missed England's fifth penalty, seeing the French win 4–3 and progress to the Semi-Finals.
White was one of the first female players to be given a central contract by the Football Association and also served as an ambassador for England's 2018 World Cup
bid.
, Sky Sports
, Eurosport
& ESPN
. She works for Arsenal as a Development Officer for Ladies football. She is also a qualified sports massage therapist.
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 2 February 1978) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who plays 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...
in the FA Women's Super League and the England women's national football 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...
as a central defender. One of the most recognised and respected players in the women’s game, Faye has been a commanding presence at the heart of the Arsenal and England defences since the late 1990s.
Personal life
White was born and grew up in HorleyHorley
Horley is a town in Surrey, England, situated south of the twin towns of Reigate and Redhill, and north of Gatwick Airport and Crawley.With fast links by train to London from Horley railway station, it has grown popular with commuters in recent years...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and attended Yattendon Middle School and Oakwood School, Horley
Oakwood School, Horley
Oakwood School is a community secondary school located in Horley, Surrey. It is co-educational and caters for students in the 11-16 age range in that it doesn't have a sixth form.-History:...
.
Club career
Her football journey began when, aged ten, she joined in the training sessions of her brother’s team Horley TownHorley Town F.C.
Horley Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Horley, Surrey, England. They currently run 3 senior teams with the first team playing at step 5 of the National League System in the Combined Counties Football League. They have a junior section with teams from Under 7 to...
. After three years of playing with her brother and his team-mates Faye decided to go to an all-girls coaching session and it was here that her path to the 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...
team began, as she met Jim Muir, the coach of a local girls’ side Horsham Ladies
Three Bridges L.F.C.
Three Bridges L.F.C. was an English women's football club based in Crawley in Sussex. Founded as Horsham WFC in 1981, the club began playing in the Sussex Martlet League before joining the South East Counties League in 1989. The club were invited to join the new Division One in 1991 under the name...
. Faye very quickly worked her way into the reserves and became a first-team player aged just 14.
In the 1996–97 season Faye 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...
and it didn’t take her long to make another big impact, earning her first international cap vs Scotland. White broke into the first team, cementing a position at the heart of Arsenal's central defence. She collected her first trophy that year, the FA Women's Premier League
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...
.
In 1997-98, due to White's performances in north London she was named the Premier League Player of the Year. Arsenal won the 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...
and Premier League Cup
Premier League Cup
The Football Association Women's Premier League Cup is a cup competition in English Women's association football. It is also referred to as the Women's League Cup as it is the women's equivalent to the men's League Cup, although both competitions are organised by different governing bodies.The...
.
White has amassed 31 winners' medals at club competition level to date, winning the inaugural FA Women's Super League in 2011, the FA Women's Premier League 10 times (including seven consecutive years from 2003-04 to 2009-10), the FA Women's Cup nine times and the League Cup six times.
Whilst captaining the club the team has completed one "quadruple" (Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup & the UEFA Women's Cup), two "trebles" (all three major domestic competitions) and four "doubles" (League title & FA Cup).
International career
White made her 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...
début against Scotland in 1997, aged 19, followed by her full début against France in 1998 when she was named player of the match. White went on to represent her country in her first major tournament at UEFA Euro 2001
2001 UEFA Women's Championship
2001 UEFA Women's Championship took place in Germany between June 23 and July 7 . It was won by Germany in the final against Sweden thanks to a golden goal....
in Germany.
In 2002, she was named as England captain against Nigeria
Nigeria women's national football team
The Nigeria national women's football team, nicknamed the Super Falcons, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation...
, during the qualification campaign for 2003 World Cup in USA, for which 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...
narrowly failed to qualify, losing in a play-off over two legs versus France.
She captained 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 UEFA Euro 2005
2005 UEFA Women's Championship
The 2005 UEFA Women's Championship, also referred to as WOMEN'S EURO 2005 , was a football tournament for women held from 5 June to 19 June 2005 in Lancashire, England. The UEFA Women's Championship is a regular tournament involving European national teams from countries affiliated to UEFA, the...
in England, 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China, UEFA Euro 2009 in Finland & 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.
In 2009, White, in her fourth major championship finals, led 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...
to the final of Euro 2009 in Finland, where the team lost out 6–2 to reigning World and European Champions, Germany
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
. She wore a protective face mask in the final after breaking her cheekbone in the quarter-final win over Finland
Finland women's national football team
The Finland women's national football team represents Finland in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Finland , reached the semi-finals of the 2005 European Championship, surprising the female football world having drawn with Sweden and beaten Denmark...
.
In the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Quarter Final penalty shoot-out versus France, White missed England's fifth penalty, seeing the French win 4–3 and progress to the Semi-Finals.
White was one of the first female players to be given a central contract by the Football Association and also served as an ambassador for England's 2018 World Cup
English 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
England 2018 was the Football Association's unsuccessful bid for the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. FIFA invited bidding countries to bid for either the 2018 or the 2022 finals, or both...
bid.
International goals
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Scored 1 21 April 1998 The Hawthorns The HawthornsThe Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, Sandwell, England, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League ground to be built in the...
, West BromwichWest BromwichWest Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
1–2 Friendly 1 2 14 May 1998 Boundary Park Boundary ParkBoundary Park is the main sports stadium of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies at the northwestern extremity of Oldham, with the towns of Royton and Chadderton lying immediately north and west respectively, giving rise to the name Boundary Park....
, OldhamOldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
1–2 1999 FIFA World Cup Qual. 1 4 14 November 2003 Deepdale DeepdaleDeepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...
, Preston5–0 Friendly 2 5 6 March 2008 Mourneview Park Mourneview ParkMourneview Park is a football stadium in Lurgan, and is the home ground of Glenavon F.C.. The stadium holds 5,000 and was built in 1895. The 2009 CIS Cup final was held there: the first such final to be held outside Belfast.-External links:**...
, LurganLurganLurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
2–0 2009 UEFA Championship Qual. 2009 UEFA Women's Championship qualificationQualifying for UEFA Women's Euro 2009 determined which 11 teams joined Finland, the hosts of the 2009 tournament, to play for the UEFA Women's Championship.-Preliminary round:20 teams were divided into 5 groups of 4...
1 6 8 May 2008 Darida Dinamo-Yuni StadiumDinamo-Yuni Stadium is a football stadium in Minsk, Belarus. It is currently used for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Dinamo Minsk. The stadium holds 4,500 people and was opened in 2000....
, MinskMinsk- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
6–1 2009 UEFA Championship Qual. 2009 UEFA Women's Championship qualificationQualifying for UEFA Women's Euro 2009 determined which 11 teams joined Finland, the hosts of the 2009 tournament, to play for the UEFA Women's Championship.-Preliminary round:20 teams were divided into 5 groups of 4...
1 7 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 8 31 August 2009 Veritas Stadion Veritas StadionVeritas Stadion is a football stadium in Turku, Finland. It is situated in the district of Kupittaa, in an area dedicated to sporting venues...
, TurkuTurkuTurku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
1–1 2009 UEFA Championship 1 9 25 October 2009 Bloomfield Road Bloomfield RoadBloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
, BlackpoolBlackpoolBlackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
8–0 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 10 1 March 2010 GSP Stadium, Nicosia NicosiaNicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
3–2 Cyprus Cup Cyprus CupThe 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...
1 11 20 May 2010 Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali 4–0 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 12 19 June 2010 Aranda de Duero Aranda de DueroAranda de Duero is a Spanish town and municipality in the south of the province of Burgos, autonomous community of Castile and León. It has a population of roughly 33,000 people. The post code for the town is 09400. The closest airport is in Valladolid....
2–2 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
Non-playing career
White has worked as a football commentator for the BBCBBC
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...
, Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
& ESPN
ESPN (UK)
ESPN is a sports television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland owned by American sports broadcaster ESPN Inc. The channel launched on 3 August 2009...
. She works for Arsenal as a Development Officer for Ladies football. She is also a qualified sports massage therapist.
Honours
- UEFA Women's Championship: Runner Up.
- 2009.
- 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...
: 1
- UEFA Women's Cup
- 2006–07.
- FA Women's Super League: 1
- 2011
- FA Women's Premier League National DivisionFA Women's Premier League National DivisionThe 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...
: 10
- FA Women's Premier League National Division
- 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009-10.
- 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...
: 9
- FA Women's Cup
- 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11.
- FA Women's Premier League Cup: 6
- 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2008–09
- FA Women's Community ShieldFA Women's Community ShieldThe FA Women's Community Shield is the female football equivalent of the FA Community Shield in the male football. It is the first competitive match of the football season, although it is seen by most fans as a showpiece event...
: 4
- FA Women's Community Shield
- 1999-00, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2005–06.
- FA Women's Premier League Player of the Year: 1
- 1997–98.