Faye White

Faye Deborah White, MBE (born 2 February 1978) is a former English footballer who captained Arsenal Ladies in the FA Women's Super League and was the longest serving captain of England to date. One of the most recognised and respected players in the women’s game, Faye was a commanding presence at the heart of the Arsenal and England teams from the late 1990s until her retirement in 2013. Faye was recognised for services to Sport in the Queen's New Year's Honours List 2007, being appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) In recognition of her achievements she was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Club career

Her football journey began when, aged ten, she joined in the training sessions of her brother’s team Horley Town. After three years of playing with her brother and his team-mates Faye decided to go to an all-girls coaching session and it was here that her path to the Arsenal Ladies team began, as she met Jim Muir, the coach of a local girls’ side Horsham Ladies. Faye very quickly worked her way into the reserves and became a first-team player aged just 14. It was while at Horsham, still aged just 16, that White became the first female player outside of the top flight to be called up for the national team by Ted Copeland