Who is England football star Rachel Daly and when did she retire as a Lioness?
RACHEL Daly is best known for being a professional footballer who plays in positions all over the field, including defence, midfield and attack.
She recently announced she is stepping down from the England team. Here we take a look at the football star’s impressive career.
Who is former England football star Rachel Daly?
Rachel Ann Daly is a professional footballer from Harrogate, England.
She plays in the FA Women’s Super League (WSL) for Aston Villa.
She also played for the English national team before announcing her retirement from playing internationally.
How long has Rachel Daly played for Aston Villa and which other teams has she played for?
Rachel signed a three-year deal with Aston Villa on August 9 2022, making her professional debut for the club on September 18 in a 4-3 win over Manchester City, scoring two goals.
She scored 22 goals in the 2022-23 WSL season, equalling Vivianne Miedema’s record for the most goals scored in a season and winning the Golden Boot.
Rachel also played for West Ham United on loan between September 3 2020 and January 11 2021.
Daly was chosen by Houston Dash as the sixth overall pick of the 2016 US National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) college draft, playing 16 games that season, tallying four goals and four assists.
In 2018, Rachel was voted team MVP and selected for the NWSL second XI.
She stayed at the cub until 2020 and was named captain, winning the Challenge Cup.
She also played for the England national football team and represented Team GB in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She was one of six defenders in the Olympic squad, appearing in all four matches and starting three of them.
How long did Rachel Daly play for England and when did she make her debut?
Daly has represented England at the under-15, under-17, under-19, and under-23 levels.
She was part of the under-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup team, which finished fourth in New Zealand in 2008.
After progressing through the youth levels, Rachel made her senior debut in 2016, scoring in a 7-0 victory over Serbia in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 qualifier.
Daly was named as part of the squad for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Why is Rachel Daly retiring?
Daly announced on Wednesday April 10, 2024 that she would be retiring from the England squad.
She said: “I would love nothing more than to play for England forever, but the time has come for me to hang my boots up on the international stage.
“While today is an extremely difficult day for me, it is also one filled with reflection and immense gratitude. Playing for and representing England has been the greatest honour.
“During my eight years as a Lioness, I’ve always pursued success and winning football matches, while playing and training with the highest standards of competition, passion and perseverance.
“It has been the greatest honour to represent my family, my teammates and the entire country. I have a lot of incredible memories during my time with England that have been pivotal moments.
“Winning the Euros and then reaching the World Cup Final changed a lot for me, not only as a footballer but as a person. I’m so fortunate that I’ve been able to share that with so many remarkable people throughout my journey.
“I have made special friendships that will last a lifetime. I will be eternally grateful to have been given the opportunity to wear the England badge with immense pride over the past eight years.
“I am very fortunate to have played a small part in making history with the Lionesses and I feel now is the right time to pass on that baton to the next generation and be England’s number one fan from the stands!
“I am excited to keep working hard at club level to reach new highs and spend some much needed quality time with my loved ones! Thank you.”
Is Rachel Daly in a relationship?
Daly is in a relationship with Aston Villa teammate Sarah Mayling.
It is not known exactly when the couple got together but they went Instagram official on December 2023.
Who did Rachel Daly date?
Daly was previously in a relationship with fellow footballer Millie Turner.
Rachel and Millie started dating in July 2021.
The former couple were often seen supporting each other at matches.
How old was Rachel Daly when she started playing football?
Daly’s love of football started in her childhood.
She has previously said she joined Killinghall when she was “eight or nine”.
She said: “I joined Killinghall when I was about eight or nine.
“My brother played for them, all my male friends played for them and my dad played for their men’s team as well so it was an easy decision!”
How many caps did Rachel Daly play for England?
Daly played 84 senior caps for England.
She won her first senior cap in June 2016, scoring in England’s 7–0 Euro 2017 qualifying win over Serbia.
What position does Rachel Daly play in?
Daly has played multiple positions throughout her football career.
In July 2022 Daly was included and started every England game at left back.
On February 19 2023 Daly was once again played as a centre-forward in an Arnold Clark Cup match against Italy.