Leanne Champ Explained

Leanne Champ
Fullname:Leanne Kelly Champ
Birth Date:10 August 1983
Birth Place:Portsmouth, England
Position:Defender / Midfielder
Years1:2000 - 2001
Clubs1:Millwall Lionesses
Years2:2001 - 2008
Clubs2:Arsenal Ladies
Years3:2008 - 2009
Clubs3:Millwall Lionesses
Years4:2009 - 2011
Clubs4:Chelsea Ladies
Years5:2010
Caps5:2
Goals5:0
Clubs5:Pali Blues (loan)
Years6:2012
Caps6:9
Goals6:1
Clubs6:Philadelphia Fever
Years7:2013
Clubs7:Millwall Lionesses
Years8:2013
Caps8:7
Goals8:0
Clubs8:North Jersey Valkyries
Nationalyears1:2003–
Nationalcaps1:10
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalteam1:England
Manageryears1:2017–
Managerclubs1:Boston Breakers
Ntupdate:11 April 2017

Leanne Kelly Champ (born 10 August 1983) is an English football player and coach, who last played for North Jersey Valkyries of the North American W-League. A tough-tackling full back who can also play in midfield, Champ previously played for FA WSL club Chelsea Ladies, Arsenal and Pali Blues as well as spending three spells with Millwall Lionesses. She has also represented England at youth and senior level. She is now the Pro Team Second Assistant Coach and Breakers College Academy Coach for the Boston Breakers in the NWSL.

Club career

Champ began her career with nine years at Millwall Lionesses, moving to Arsenal in 2001.[1] She spent six years with Arsenal, working in the club laundry when not playing, before returning to Millwall during 2007–08. Champ had sat out Arsenal's quadruple-winning 2006–07 season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.[2] In the 2008–09 season, she helped Millwall to the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division title, and with it a return to the FA Women's Premier League National Division.[3] Early in the 2009–10 campaign Champ switched to Chelsea and scored against former club Arsenal in a 3–2 home League defeat in November 2009.[4]

She played for North American W-League club Pali Blues in summer 2010.[5] She returned to Chelsea for the inaugural 2011 FA WSL and played in 13 of the club's 14 league matches. In 2012 Champ played for Philadelphia Fever in America's Women's Premier Soccer League Elite (WPSL Elite). She agreed a brief return to Millwall in January 2013,[6] before heading off again to America in April 2013, with North Jersey Valkyries.

In 2014 Champ was employed as a soccer coach by the Boston Breakers. She coached the National Women's Soccer League club's academy teams and intended to play for the reserve team as player-coach.[7]

International career

Champ played for England in the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship and reached the quarter-final. She had previously won seven caps at U-16 level, and by 2001–02 was an established member of the senior squad.[8]

In February 2003 Champ made her Senior debut in a 1–0 friendly defeat in Italy.[9]

She has 10 caps for England.[10]

She was allotted 145 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.[11] [12]

Coaching career

Leanne is a new member of the 2017 Boston Breakers coaching staff, serving as both the Pro Team Second Assistant Coach and the Breakers College Academy Coach as "part of the player identification and scouting network for both Boston Breakers senior teams, and Academy teams."[13]

Personal life

Champ worked as a postwoman in her native Kent.[14]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Leanne Champ. The Guardian. 27 July 2009.
  2. News: Arsenal's women true to tradition. UEFA. 22 April 2007. 2 January 2011. Paul Saffer.
  3. News: Leanne's Lionesses to be crowned. The Football Association. 17 April 2009. 27 July 2009.
  4. News: Gunners see off Chelsea challenge. The Football Association. 8 November 2009. 2 January 2011. James Masters.
  5. News: 2010 ROSTER. Pali Blues Soccer Club. 2 January 2011.
  6. News: Leanne Champ Returns To Millwall. She Kicks. 21 January 2014. 25 January 2013.
  7. News: Leanne Champ, GU10 Coach. Strikers United. 21 January 2014.
  8. News: https://web.archive.org/web/20110718082716/http://www.womensoccer.com/refs/u19wwc-canada/u19wwc-canada_engbios.shtml. 18 July 2011. England Player Biographies. Womens Soccer World. 2 January 2011.
  9. Web site: England women Fixtures and Results, 2004/05 . Cresswell Wanderers FC . 11 October 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121024012842/http://www.freewebs.com/macacresswell4eva/englandwomen.htm . 24 October 2012 .
  10. Web site: England women's legacy and results archive . 2023-06-20 . The Football Association . en.
  11. Web site: England squad named for World Cup . 2023-06-19 . The Football Association . en.
  12. Web site: Lacey-Hatton . Jack . 2022-11-18 . Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present . 2023-06-19 . mirror . en.
  13. Web site: Coaching Staff – Boston Breakers. bostonbreakerssoccer.com. 2017-04-11.
  14. News: player profile . 2024-07-05 . soccerway.com .