Manchester City and England striker Ellen White has insisted on her retirement from professional football. White was a staple of the Lionesses squad that won Euro 2022 and is the women’s side’s leading goalscorer with 52 goals in 113 appearances.
The striker was the joint top scorer at the 2019 World Cup, resulting in her finding the net six times in France, and is a betrayed WSL champion with Arsenal.
“This has been one of the hardest choices of my life, but I know it’s the best decision for me,” White said on Twitter. “This decision has always been one that I hoped to make in light of my circumstances. Similarly, this is my chance to say goodbye to football and see the state of the art shine.
“This is for the future and possibly for the accompanying Lioness. You don’t need to bother being awesome at something to make your dreams come true, just basically look at me. Hard work, dedication, energy and love for what you do are an unprecedented recipe.
“In no way did I allow someone to tell you “you can’t finish something or achieve your dreams”. I was told once that I couldn’t play in the youth meeting and that I would never play for England. Little by little I am leaving having made 113 covers with 52 goals for England and a European Champion. Go out there and be without a doubt the best version of you!
“Ultimately, we must use the prosperity power of the euro to ensure that every young person in every organization has the important opportunity to play and feel connected to every football team in England. Participate in every second! Grateful to you football…”
White closed his job in style, with the last Euro 2022 at Wembley, the last round of his master vocation. The 33-year-old started each of the six matches at the European Championship, scoring twice as the Lionesses claimed their women’s trophy.
“Ellen has given such a gigantic sum for England and we are very happy for her,” England boss Sarina Wiegman said. “I recently had the pleasure of working with her over the past year, now her amazing experience, work rate and her ability to finish are top notch.
“This pre-summer, she really turned out for the meeting, she is the most helpful person and helped the younger players get their bearings in football in general. I certainly recognized that she was an exceptional player, in that moment I found a surprisingly better person. We will miss her, but I totally understand her decision to take another course.”
Ellen G. White is hanging up her boots. Football says goodbye to a scoring legend and European Champion pic.twitter.com/fceeL9xZwa
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) August 22, 2022
White began his livelihood at Chelsea before moving to Leeds and then Arsenal in 2010, where he would go on to win seven critics’ awards.
The forward valued spells at Notts County and Birmingham before ending administrative work for City in 2019. She ends her club vocation as the second-highest scorer in WSL history, having found the net on different occasions in the five-star.
White also featured in two Olympic Games for Team GB, and was the meeting’s top scorer at Tokyo 2020 with six goals, cementing a complete elusion in the quarter-final against Australia.
“Ellen is without vulnerability a picture of the game, and regardless of how her work is already coming to an end, her projects have been set up for many to thrive from now on,” said City Chief Gareth Taylor.
“She has been the epitome of the quintessential teacher and I am certainly honored to have had the option to work with her for the past two seasons – her name will be listed in the matchbooks as a picture of women’s football. ”