View source for Faye White

{{Short description|English footballer (born 1978)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name           = Faye White<br />{{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}}
| image          = Faye White.jpg
| image_size     = 225
| caption        = Faye White at the Emirates Stadium, London, August 2006
| fullname       = Faye Deborah White<ref name="Faye White">{{cite web| title = Faye White| url = http://en.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=41673/profile/index.html| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130205085521/http://en.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=41673/profile/index.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = 5 February 2013| publisher = UEFA| access-date = 16 September 2010}}</ref>
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1978|2|2|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Horley]],<ref name="tes"/> [[England]]
| height         = {{height|ft=6|in=0}}<ref name=can>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/2007/06/15/4263320-sun.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115073413/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/2007/06/15/4263320-sun.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=15 January 2013|title=Fury defence adds Gunner|publisher=Slam Sports|date=15 June 2007|access-date=8 October 2010}}</ref>
| position       = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| currentclub    = 
| clubnumber     = 
| youthyears1    = |youthclubs1 = [[Three Bridges L.F.C.|Horsham Ladies]]
| years1 = 1996–2013 |clubs1 = [[Arsenal L.F.C.|Arsenal Ladies]] |caps1 = 300  |goals1 = 22
| years2 = 2007  |clubs2 = [[Ottawa Fury Women|Ottawa Fury]] (loan)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ottawafury.com/fullstory.php?id%3D523 |access-date=12 May 2011 |title=Ottawa Fury Women Sign England and Arsenal Captain |date=14 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928103400/http://www.ottawafury.com/fullstory.php?id=523 |archive-date=28 September 2011 }}</ref> |caps2 = 8 |goals2 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 1997–2011 |nationalteam1 = [[England women's national football team|England]] |nationalcaps1 = 90 |nationalgoals1 = 12
| pcupdate       = 20:39, 7 March 2011 (GMT)
| ntupdate       = 9 July 2011
}}
'''Faye Deborah White''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|commas=on|MBE}} (born 2 February 1978) is an [[England|English]] former [[association football|footballer]] who captained [[Arsenal L.F.C.|Arsenal Women]] in the [[FA WSL|FA Women's Super League]] and is the longest-serving female captain of [[England women's national football team|England]] to date. Her [[England women's national football team|Lionesses]] career spanned 15 years and five major tournament finals - a record four as captain. A [[UEFA Women's Champions League]] winner, she won both League titles and the [[FA Women's Cup|FA Cup]] across three different decades with Arsenal. White was recognised for services to Sport in the Queen's [[2007 New Year Honours|New Year's Honours List 2007]], being appointed a [[Order of the British Empire|Member of the Order of the British Empire]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Chris |date=1 January 2007 |title=Faye White earns MBE in honours list |url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/ladies-news/faye-white-earns-mbe-in-honours-list |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923231516/http://www.arsenal.com/news/ladies-news/faye-white-earns-mbe-in-honours-list |archive-date=23 September 2015 |access-date=11 August 2023 |publisher=Arsenal F.C.}}</ref> In recognition of her achievements she was inducted into the [[English Football Hall of Fame#Women.27s Inductee 11|English Football Hall of Fame]] in 2015.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Callow |first=James |date=3 April 2015 |title=White, Barnes and Pearce to be inducted into Hall of Fame |url=https://www.thefa.com/news/2015/apr/03/england-legends-to-be-inducted-in-hall-of-fame |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427022320/http://www.thefa.com/news/2015/apr/03/england-legends-to-be-inducted-in-hall-of-fame |archive-date=27 April 2020 |access-date=11 August 2023 |publisher=The Football Association}}</ref>

==Club career==
White began playing football at the age of ten, when she joined in the training sessions of her brother's team [[Horley Town F.C.|Horley Town]]. After three years of playing with her brother and his teammates she decided to go to an all-girls coaching session, at which she met Jim Muir, the coach of a local girls' side Horsham Sparrows Ladies . She began playing for the reserves before becoming a first-team player at the age of 14. While still at Horsham, aged 16, White was called up for the [[England women's national football team|national team]] by [[Ted Copeland]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.clubnewsletter.co.uk/june08/fayewhite.htm|title=Faye White - from the playground to the World Cup|author=Dan Pope|publisher=Club Newsletter|access-date=9 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906013048/http://www.clubnewsletter.co.uk/june08/fayewhite.htm|archive-date=6 September 2012}}</ref>

In the 1996–97 season White was [[Tapping up|tapped up]] by [[Vic Akers]] and [[Arsenal L.F.C.|Arsenal Ladies]], and earned her first international cap against [[Scotland women's national football team|Scotland]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.clubnewsletter.co.uk/june08/fayewhite.htm|title=Faye White – from the playground to the World Cup|author=Dan Pope|publisher=Club Newsletter|access-date=9 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906013048/http://www.clubnewsletter.co.uk/june08/fayewhite.htm|archive-date=6 September 2012}}</ref> 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 National Division|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 [[FA Women's Premier League Cup|Premier League Cup]].

White achieved major success despite suffering numerous injuries including two cruciate ligament injuries, which kept her out of football for nine months each time. During her career she amassed 31 major trophies at club competition level, winning the [[FA Women's Premier League National Division|FA Women's Premier League]] 10 times (including seven consecutive years from 2003–04 to 2009–10), the [[FA Women's Cup]] nine times, the [[FA Women's Premier League Cup|League Cup]] six times and the inaugural [[FA WSL|FA Women's Super League]] in 2011.

While White was captain, Arsenal won "The Quadruple" ([[UEFA Women's Champions League]], Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup), two "Trebles" (all three major domestic competitions) and four "Doubles" (League title & FA Cup). The club went 108 league games undefeated between 2003 and 2009 and won 51 consecutive league matches between 2006 and 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.90min.com/posts/faye-white-vic-akers-legendary-arsenal-first-impressions-jordan-nobbs-exclusive|title=Faye White on Vic Akers' legendary Arsenal side & her first impressions of Jordan Nobbs|author=Ali Rampling|publisher=90min.com|access-date=17 March 2021}}</ref> The [[UEFA Women's Champions League]] victory in 2007 remains the only victory by an English team in the major European competition since the tournament's inception.

In March 2013, she announced her retirement from her playing career after 17 years as a professional.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite web |date=20 March 2013 |title=Faye White: Ex-England and Arsenal captain retires |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21856241 |access-date=4 March 2013}}</ref>

==International career==
White made her [[England women's national football team|England]] debut against Scotland in 1997, aged 19, followed by her full debut 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 [[2001 UEFA Women's Championship|UEFA Euro 2001]] in Germany.

In 2002, she was named by [[Hope Powell]] as England captain against [[Nigeria women's national football team|Nigeria]],<ref name="FA profile of Faye White">[http://www.thefa.com/England/All-Teams/Players/W/Faye-White FA profile of Faye White] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109171449/https://www.thefa.com/England/All-Teams/Players/W/Faye-White |date=9 January 2011 }} [[The Football Association|The FA]]. Retrieved 31 July 2015.</ref> during the qualification campaign for [[2003 FIFA Women's World Cup|FIFA World Cup]] in USA. White was to keep the armband until her international retirement in 2012.<ref name="FA profile of Faye White"/>

She led the [[England women's national football team|Lionesses]] at [[2005 UEFA Women's Championship|UEFA Euro 2005]] in England, [[2007 FIFA Women's World Cup]] in China, [[UEFA Women's Euro 2009|UEFA Euro 2009]] in Finland and [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup]] in Germany.

At the [[2007 FIFA Women's World Cup#Quarterfinals|Quarter Final]] stage of the [[2007 FIFA Women's World Cup|2007 World Cup]] vs [[United States women's national soccer team|USA]] in [[Tianjin]], White's nose was broken by an elbow from [[Abby Wambach]] ten minutes before half time. White played the remaining duration of the game with the injury, making several vital headed clearances, but was unable to prevent a World Cup exit to the top ranked national team in the world.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBA6bvqktJI Wambach foul on Faye White] Youtube.com. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2015.</ref>

In 2009, in her third major championship finals as captain, White led [[England women's national football team|England]] to the final of [[UEFA Women's Euro 2009|Euro 2009]] in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]], where the team lost out to [[Germany women's national football team|Germany]]. She wore a protective face mask in the final after breaking her cheekbone in the quarter-final win over [[Finland women's national football team|Finland]] in [[Turku]], just six days after having surgery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Faye White to play against Germany in face-mask|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/6165228/Faye-White-to-play-against-Germany-in-face-mask.html|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=10 September 2009|access-date=16 April 2011}}</ref>

In the [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup]] Quarter Final penalty shoot-out versus France at the [[BayArena]], [[Leverkusen]], 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]]<ref>{{cite news|title=England Women awarded contracts|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/women/8050189.stm|work=[[BBC Sport]]|date=14 May 2009|access-date=29 July 2009}}</ref> and also served as an ambassador for [[English 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid|England's 2018 World Cup]] bid.

In April 2012, just prior to the announcement of the [[Great Britain women's Olympic football team|Great Britain squad]] for the upcoming [[Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Olympic tournament]], White, while still recovering from knee surgery, announced her pregnancy and made the decision to retire from international football.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=London 2012 Olympics: England captain Faye White to miss Olympics due to pregnancy |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/football/9213760/London-2012-Olympics-England-captain-Faye-White-to-miss-Olympics-due-to-pregnancy.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 April 2012 |access-date=3 October 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Pregnant England captain Faye White quits internationals|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17761332|work=BBC News|date=18 April 2012|access-date=24 April 2012}}</ref>

She was allotted 120 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.<ref>{{cite web |title=England player legacy and results archive |url=https://www.englandfootball.com/england/womens-senior-team/Legacy?tab=Players |website= FA EnglandFootball}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lacey-Hatton |first=Jack |date=2022-11-18 |title=Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/lionesses-introduce-legacy-numbers-players-28529161 |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=mirror |language=en}}</ref>

===International goals===
:''Scores and results list England's goal tally first.''
{| class="wikitable"
! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Result !! Competition !! Scored
|-
| 1 || 21 April 1998 || [[The Hawthorns]], [[West Bromwich]] || {{fbw|ITA}} || 1–2 || [[Exhibition match|Friendly]] || 1
|-
| 2 || 14 May 1998 || [[Boundary Park]], [[Oldham]] || {{fbw|NOR}} || 1–2 || [[1999 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)|1999 FIFA World Cup Qual.]] || 1
|-
| 4 || 14 November 2003 || [[Deepdale]], [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]] || {{fbw|SCO}} || 5–0 || [[Exhibition match|Friendly]] || 2
|-
| 5 || 6 March 2008 || [[Mourneview Park]], [[Lurgan]] || {{fbw|NIR}} || 2–0 || [[2009 UEFA Women's Championship qualification|2009 UEFA Championship Qual.]] || 1
|-
| 6 || 8 May 2008 || [[Dinamo-Yuni Stadium|Darida]], [[Minsk]] || {{fbw|BLR}} || 6–1 || [[2009 UEFA Women's Championship qualification|2009 UEFA Championship Qual.]] || 1
|-
| 7 || 11 February 2009 || [[Larnaca]] || {{fbw|FIN}} || 4–1 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]] || 1
|-
| 8 || 31 August 2009 || [[Veritas Stadion]], [[Turku]] || {{fbw|SWE}} || 1–1 || [[UEFA Women's Euro 2009|2009 UEFA Championship]] || 1
|-
| 9 || 25 October 2009 || [[Bloomfield Road]], [[Blackpool]] || {{fbw|MLT}} || 8–0 || [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)|2011 FIFA World Cup Qual.]] || 1
|-
| 10 || 1 March 2010 || [[GSP Stadium]], [[Nicosia]] || {{fbw|ITA}} || 3–2 || [[Cyprus Cup]] || 1
|-
| 11 || 20 May 2010 || [[Ta' Qali National Stadium#Ta.27 Qali Centenary Stadium and Training Grounds|Centenary Stadium]], [[Ta' Qali]]|| {{fbw|MLT}} || 4–0 || [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)|2011 FIFA World Cup Qual.]] || 1
|-
| 12 || 19 June 2010 || [[Aranda de Duero]] || {{fbw|ESP}} || 2–2 || [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)|2011 FIFA World Cup Qual.]] || 1
|-
|}

==Honours==
'''Arsenal'''{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* [[FA Women's Premier League National Division]]: [[1996–97 FA Women's Premier League|1996–97]], [[2000–01 FA Women's Premier League|2000–01]], [[2001–02 FA Women's Premier League|2001–02]], [[2003–04 FA Women's Premier League|2003–04]], [[2004–05 FA Women's Premier League|2004–05]], [[2005–06 FA Women's Premier League|2005–06]], [[2006–07 FA Women's Premier League|2006–07]], [[2007–08 FA Women's Premier League|2007–08]], [[2008–09 FA Women's Premier League|2008–09]], [[2009–10 FA Women's Premier League|2009–10]]
* [[Women's Super League]]: [[2011 FA WSL|2011]]
* [[Women's FA Cup]]: [[1996–97 FA Women's Cup|1997–1998]], [[1997–98 FA Women's Cup|1998–1999]], [[2000–01 FA Women's  Cup|2000–01]], [[2003–04 FA Women's Cup|2003–04]], [[2005–06 FA Women's Cup|2005–06]], [[2006–07 FA Women's Cup|2006–07]], [[2007–08 FA Women's Cup|2007–08]], [[2008–09 FA Women's Cup|2008–09]], [[2010–11 FA Women's Cup|2010–11]]
* [[FA Women's Premier League Cup]]: [[1997–98 FA Women's Premier League Cup|1997–98]], [[1998–99 FA Women's Premier League Cup|1998–99]], [[1999–2000 FA Women's Premier League Cup|1999–2000]], [[2000–01 FA Women's Premier League Cup|2000–01]], [[2004–05 FA Women's Premier League Cup|2004–05]], [[2008–09 FA Women's Premier League Cup|2008–09]]
* [[Women's FA Community Shield]]: [[2000 FA Women's Charity Shield|2000]], [[2001 FA Women's Charity Shield|2001]], [[2005 FA Women's Community Shield|2005]], [[2006 FA Women's Community Shield|2006]], [[2008 FA Women's Community Shield|2008]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mawhinney |first=Stuart |date=7 August 2008 |title=Smith settles it |url=http://www.thefa.com/Womens/TheFAWomensShield/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2008/08/CommShield_matchreport.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924181643/http://www.thefa.com/Womens/TheFAWomensShield/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2008/08/CommShield_matchreport.htm |archive-date=24 September 2008 |access-date=11 August 2023 |website= |publisher=The Football Association}}</ref>
* [[Uefa Women's Cup|UEFA Women's Cup]]: [[2006–07 UEFA Women's Cup|2006–07]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashby |first=Kevin |date=29 April 2007 |title=Arsenal enjoy European glory |url=http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/womencup/fixturesresults/round=2350/match=85337/report=rp.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121211063004/http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/womencup/fixturesresults/round=2350/match=85337/report=rp.html |archive-date=11 December 2012 |access-date=11 August 2023 |publisher=Union of European Football Associations}}</ref>

'''England'''
*[[UEFA Women's Championship]] runner-up: [[UEFA Women's Euro 2009|2009]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saffer |first=Paul |date=10 September 2009 |title=Six-goal Germany reign supreme |url=http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/woco/fixturesresults/round%3D15050/match%3D2001423/report%3Drp.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818064842/http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/woco/fixturesresults/round=15050/match=2001423/report=rp.html |archive-date=18 August 2010 |access-date=11 August 2023 |publisher=Union of European Football Associations}}</ref>
'''Individual'''
*[[Member of the Order of the British Empire]]: [[2007 New Year Honours|2007]]<ref name=":0" />
*[[English Football Hall of Fame]]: 2015<ref name=":1" />
*FA Women's Player's Player of the Year: 1997–98{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

==Non-playing career==
White was awarded an honorary degree by the [[University of Hertfordshire]] in November 2013.<ref>[http://www.shekicks.net/news/view/8946 Faye White receives Honorary Award] [[She Kicks]] 25 November 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2015.</ref>

White acted as the Ambassador for the [[2012–13 UEFA Women's Champions League|2012-13 UEFA Women's Champions League Final]] in [[London]].<ref>[http://www.uefa.com/womenschampionsleague/season=2013/finals/ambassador/ Ambassador: Faye White]{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} UEFA.com. Retrieved 31 July 2015.</ref> She is also an ambassador for the sporting charity [[Football Foundation]].<ref>[http://www.footballfoundation.org.uk/about-us/ambassadors/ Meet Our Ambassadors] [[Football Foundation]]. Retrieved 31 July 2015.</ref>

She was a marketing officer for [[Arsenal L.F.C.|Arsenal LFC]] in the [[FA WSL]]<ref>[http://www.arsenal.com/ladies/coaching-staff/faye-white Faye White] Retrieved 31 July 2015.</ref> and is a qualified [[sports massage]] therapist.

White appears regularly as [[football commentator|co-commentator]] and [[pundit|studio pundit]] on television and radio for the [[BBC]], [[BT Sport]], [[SKY Sports]], FATV, [[ESPN (UK)|ESPN]], [[Eurosport]] and [[Radio 5 Live]].<ref name="ottawa">{{cite web |title=Faye White profile |url=http://www.ottawafury.com/profile.php?id=4294 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715020758/http://www.ottawafury.com/profile.php?id=4294 |archive-date=15 July 2011 |access-date=10 June 2011 |publisher=Ottawa Fury}}</ref>

==Personal life==
White was born and grew up in [[Horley]], [[Surrey]] and attended Horley Infants School, Yattendon Middle School Horley and [[Oakwood School, Horley]].<ref name="tes">{{cite web | date = 21 May 2004 | title = My Best Teacher | url = http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=394942 | publisher = [[Times Educational Supplement]] | access-date = 10 March 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121005005433/http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=394942 | archive-date = 5 October 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

She attended [[Reigate College]],<ref name="tes"/> and later returned to open the new sports centre in 2010.

She is married to former basketball player Keith Mulholland and has two sons; Lukas, born in 2012 and Jake, born in 2016.<ref>{{cite web | date = 3 October 2012 | title = Faye White Has First Child | url = http://www.shekicks.net/news/view/6391 | publisher = [[She Kicks (magazine)|She Kicks]] | access-date = 4 October 2012 | archive-date = 16 January 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160116021620/http://www.shekicks.net/news/view/6391 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/faye-white Faye White at the National Football Museum Hall of Fame]
*[http://www.thefa.com/England/All-Teams/Players/W/Faye-White FA profile of Faye White] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109171449/https://www.thefa.com/England/All-Teams/Players/W/Faye-White |date=9 January 2011 }}

{{English Football Hall of Fame}}
{{Navboxes
| title = England squads
| bg = white
| fg = #0B0B3F
| bordercolor = #0B0B3F
| list1 = 
{{England squad UEFA Women's Euro 2001}}
{{England squad UEFA Women's Euro 2005}}
{{England squad 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup}}
{{England squad UEFA Women's Euro 2009}}
{{England squad 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Faye}}
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Horley]]
[[Category:English association football commentators]]
[[Category:English women's footballers]]
[[Category:England women's international footballers]]
[[Category:Women's association football central defenders]]
[[Category:Arsenal W.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:English Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:FA Women's National League players]]
[[Category:Expatriate women's soccer players in Canada]]
[[Category:Women's Super League players]]
[[Category:2011 FIFA Women's World Cup players]]
[[Category:2007 FIFA Women's World Cup players]]
[[Category:Ottawa Fury (women) players]]
[[Category:USL W-League (1995–2015) players]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Canada]]
[[Category:Footballers from Surrey]]
[[Category:21st-century English sportswomen]]