Leanne Kelly Champ is an English female footballer, who plays for FA WSL club Chelsea Ladies

Chelsea L.F.C.

Chelsea Ladies Football Club are a semi-professional English women's football club affiliated with Chelsea F.C.. They have competed in the top tier of women's football in England, the Premier League National Division, since 2005...

. A tough-tackling full back who can also play in midfield, Champ previously played for 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 Pali Blues

Pali Blues

Pali Blues is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2008. 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...

 as well spending two spells with 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...

. She has also 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 youth and senior level.

Club career

Champ began her career with nine years at 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...

, moving to 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...

 in 2001. She spent six years with Arsenal, working in the club laundry when not playing, before returning to Millwall during 2007-08. Champ had sat out Arsenal's entire 2006-07 season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. In the 2008–09 season, she helped Millwall to the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division

FA Women's Premier League Southern Division

The FA Women's Premier League Southern Division is a league in the Third level in the women's football pyramid in England, along with the Northern division. These two divisions are below the FA Women's Super League and National Division...

 title, and with it a return to the 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...

. Early in the 2009-10 campaign Champ switched to Chelsea

Chelsea L.F.C.

Chelsea Ladies Football Club are a semi-professional English women's football club affiliated with Chelsea F.C.. They have competed in the top tier of women's football in England, the Premier League National Division, since 2005...

 and scored against former club Arsenal in a 3-2 home League defeat in November 2009.

She played for 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....

 club Pali Blues

Pali Blues

Pali Blues is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2008. 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...

 in summer 2010.

International career

Champ played for 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...

 in the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship

2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship

The 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship was held from August 17 to September 1. It was the first sanctioned youth tournament for women put together by FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Canada. FIFA granted the tournament to Canada in March 2001. Three cities hosted the tournament,...

 and reached the quarter-final. She had previously won seven caps at U-16 level, and by 2001-02 was an established member of the Senior squad.

In February 2003 Champ made her Senior debut in a 1-0 friendly defeat in Italy

Italy women's national football team

The Italy women's national football team represents Italy in international women's football. The team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation .- Performances in the World Cup :...

.

External links

• Leanne Champ at Chelsea Ladies FA WSL website