Hope Powell

Hope Powell was a true trailblazer in the progression of women’s football on the international stage, and more specifically in the United Kingdom. She enjoyed an excellent playing career, which included 66 appearances for England. She was an attacking midfielder and thrived in scoring and assisting goals. During her international career, she scored 35 goals. She was an ever-present for the national side after making her debut aged just 16. She was part of the first-ever women’s team to compete in the World Cup in 1995. At club level, she most notably played for Croydon, as she captained the side to four FA Cups finals. She was also the skipper when the side won the double in 1996.

Two years later she was appointed by the FA as the first-ever full-time national team coach. Her reign in charge of England was historic as she successfully navigated their route to the 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013 editions of the European Championships. Although she was unsuccessful in qualifying for the competition in 2003, she did make up for this by leading the country to a then-best performance at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, as England reached the quarterfinals. England would also reach the final of the European Championships in 2009, which was an equalled best performance.

Her dedication to the sport knew no bounds, as she oversaw the complete overhaul from the grassroots level in women’s football. In 2009, she also helped assist the FA in implementing full-time contracts for women players. She also achieved the highest coaching qualification in 2003 when she achieved the UEFA Pro Licence. In doing so, she became the first women to achieve this. Powell was fired as England manager in 2013, before becoming manager of Brighton & Hove Albion in 2017. She was awarded CBE in 2010 and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003.