Biography
Who is Steph Houghton?
Early life and beginnings
Steph Houghton was born in Durham, United Kingdom, on April 23, 1988. She grew up in South Hetton, which is a former mining town located in County Durham. As a young player, she was a lifelong supporter of the Sunderland football club. Her early development involved playing for the local youth setup. She eventually broke into the senior team at the club. During the 2005 to 2006 season, she contributed to the side winning promotion from the Northern Division. Following that success, she earned the FA Young Player of the Year Award for the 2006 to 2007 season. Before focusing on her defensive role, she initially played as a striker and then in midfield positions.
Professional club career
Her senior club career began at Sunderland, where she spent five years. After the club was relegated, she moved to Leeds Carnegie in 2007. While at Leeds, she helped the team secure the 2010 FA Women's Premier League Cup. In August 2010, she signed with Arsenal. During her time with the London club, she won the FA WSL title twice, the FA Women's Cup twice, and the FA WSL Cup three times.
She transferred to Manchester City on January 1, 2014. At Manchester City, she achieved significant success, including winning the FA WSL in 2016. She also secured multiple FA Women's Cup and FA WSL Cup titles during her tenure. She signed a contract extension with the club in 2020. She announced her retirement from football in March 2024. Her final professional match occurred on May 18, 2024, in a victory against Aston Villa.
International playing career
Steph Houghton made her international debut for the England women's national team on March 8, 2007, against Russia. Her first start for the team happened three days later against Scotland. Although she missed the 2007 World Cup and Euro 2009 due to injuries, she returned to compete in the 2011 World Cup and Euro 2013. In January 2014, she was appointed as the captain of England. She led the team during two World Cups and a Women's Euro tournament. She helped England secure a bronze medal at the 2015 World Cup held in Canada. She earned her 100th cap for England on November 11, 2018, in a match against Sweden.
In addition to her England career, she represented the Great Britain women's Olympic team. She played in the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she scored three goals, including winners against New Zealand and Brazil. She was also selected for the 2020 Summer Olympics squad.
Honours and personal life
Throughout her career, she received several honors. She was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2016 for her services to football. In 2023, she received the Freedom of the City of Sunderland. She was also named one of the BBC 100 Women in 2017. In her personal life, she married former Bradford City defender Stephen Darby on June 21, 2018. Following her playing career, she joined BBC Sport as a football analyst in the summer of 2024. She has discussed the pronunciation of her surname on podcasts, noting that she prefers the pronunciation that aligns with the town of Houghton-le-Spring.
Birthday and age
Steph Houghton was born on April 23, 1988, which makes Steph 38 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Steph shares the date with 59 other famous people.
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