Steph Houghton has handed over the captaincy of the England women’s national football team amidst speculations that she is coming to the end of her career. The 37 years old Centre back made the revelation on Twitter after the announcement of a new captain for the team by Sarina Wiegman, in the person of Leah Williamson.
According to Steph who has captained the team for close to a decade, that has been the greatest honor and privilege of her life. During her time as the team’s captain, Hougton has recorded many achievements, although she came short of winning a trophy for the country.
Announcement for a new captain came as Houghton’s fitness issues persist with the Euros coming soon.
Steph Houghton Has Been Playing For England Since 2006
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The career of Steph Houghton with the Three Lionesses dates back to 2006 when she played her debut match against Germany. Unfortunately, she missed the 2007 World Cup because of a broken leg but after that, she remained a regular feature for the team.
She took part in competitions including the 2009 Cyprus Cup, Euro 2013 qualifying, 2013 Cyprus Cup, 2015 World Cup, 2019 World Cup qualifying, and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She has also played for Great Britain at the Olympics.
Thus far, the Durham native has appeared in more than 121 games for her country and has scored over 10 goals in the process.
She Became The Team’s Captain in 2014
Houghton was made the captain of the team in 2014 by Mark Sampson to replace Casey Stoney. Since then, she has shown personality and character as she led the team through many competitions, earning her the respect of other teammates including Ellen White who described her as a legend.
Under the captaincy of Steph Houghton, the Three Lionesses brought home a bronze medal from the 2015 World Cup. That became the best finish of the team, having been to three previous quarter-finals in their history; 1995, 2007, and 2011. More so, she led them to their second-best outing in the World Cup in 2019 when the team ended in fourth place.
Steph Houghton served as the team’s captain under three coaches; Mark Sampson, Phil Neville, and then Sarina Wiegman for a brief period.
Apart from Carol Thomas who was the captain of the England Women’s team for 9 years, Steph Houghton was the longest-serving captain of the team with eight years to her name. She also doubles as the most accomplished.
Is Steph Houghton Set For Retirement?
My statement regarding the @Lionesses captaincy ✍🏻
1/2 pic.twitter.com/v5bobUHnWa
— Steph Houghton MBE (@stephhoughton2) April 5, 2022
At 37, Steph Houghton has made so many achievements for her country and has suffered many injuries and fitness issues along the line, but she is not yet ready to retire.
According to her while she has had a difficult 12 months due to injuries and the loss of the captain band, she still believes she has a story with the team. She stated that she was going to work hard and make her way back to the squad ahead of the European championship.
She Is Still The Captain Of Manchester City Women’s Football Club
Steph is still the captain of the Manchester City Women’s Football Club. She has held the position since 2014 and from that moment, she has helped the team win four FA Women’s League Cups and 3 Women’s FA Cup titles. She joined the tea, in 2014 when it got to the WSL for the first time.
Before joining Manchester City, Hougton played for Arsenal from 2010 to 2013, Leeds United from 2007 to 2010, and then Sunderland from 2002 to 2007. Prior to that, the 5 feet 9 inches defender had her youth career with Sunderland.
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