Fleeting (left) in October 2006 |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Julie Stewart MBE |
||
| Date of birth | 18 December 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Kilwinning, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Arsenal Ladies | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cunninghame Boys Club | |||
| Crosshouse Boys Club | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| Ayr United | |||
| 2002–2003 | San Diego Spirit | 25 | (14) |
| Ross County Ladies | |||
| 2004– | Arsenal Ladies | 68 | (79) |
| 2006 | → Valur (loan) | 2 | (4) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1996– | Scotland | 120 | (116) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14:09, 30 July 2009 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Julie Fleeting MBE (born 18 December 1980), whose married name is Julie Stewart, is a Scottish international footballer who currently plays as a striker for Arsenal Ladies in the FA WSL. She wears the number 10 shirt.
According to the Scottish Football Association, Fleeting has a record of 116 goals and 120 caps for Scotland.[1] She was awarded an MBE in the June 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours list. She has also represented Scotland in the sport of basketball.[2]
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Fleeting is the daughter of current Scottish Football Association Director of Football Development Jim Fleeting. She also taught Physical Education in St. Matthew's Academy in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire and Charleston Academy, Inverness. She is married to Morton goalkeeper Colin Stewart.[3] In 2007 she was named as Scotland's Sports Personality of the Year.[4] She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.[5] She was given the MBE medal in November that year in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace hosted by Prince Charles.[6] On 23 December 2008, Fleeting announced she was pregnant with her first child and ruled herself out for the season.[7] In June 2009, she was inducted in to the University of Edinburgh's Sports Hall of Fame. She gave birth to a daughter, Ella, on 27 July 2009.[8]
Fleeting began her football career aged nine with Cunninghame Boys Under–10s.[9] She joined Prestwick Girls when SFA rules barred her from mixed football at age 12.[10] In April 1995, Fleeting scored twice as Prestwick beat Cumbernauld Cosmos 7–5 in the final of the Under–16 Scottish Cup.[11] The following season Prestwick came under the auspices of Ayr United, and the Sunday Mail newspaper was already describing Fleeting as: "the most gifted young footballer in Scotland."[12]
Fleeting had a spell in the now defunct WUSA playing for the San Diego Spirit.
Fleeting scored a hat-trick for Arsenal in their 2005 FA Cup Final win over Charlton Athletic Ladies, just a day after suffering a shin injury while playing for Scotland. In 2005–06 Fleeting hit a total of 17 goals in 15 appearances for Arsenal, before spending summer 2006 on loan in Iceland with Valur.[13] She netted four times in three games for Valur before returning to the UK.[14]
Fleeting was called up to the national under–16 team at the age of 14.[15] She made her senior Scotland debut, aged 15, against Wales at Somerset Park in November 1996.[16] In January 1997 Fleeting was part of a youthful Scotland squad who toured Brazil; suffering 5–0, 6–0 and 7–1 defeats to their hosts.[17] When Scotland played an Auld Enemy fixture in August 1997 it was reported that the Scots had been "pinning their hopes of an upset" on the teenaged Fleeting.[18]
Fleeting represented Scotland in the 1999 World Cup qualifiers. In May 1998 she scored twice in a 7–0 win over Estonia at Somerset Park,[19] then headed the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw with the Czech Republic in Inverness.[20] With Scotland competing at the B level of UEFA competition—and ineligible to qualify—they needed a final win over Lithuania and a 16–goal swing to overhaul the Czech Republic and win the group. Fleeting hit four goals, including a decisive injury time header, as Scotland won 17–0 to top the group and secure a play–off against Spain for promotion to the A grade.[21] She was unable to make an impression as Spain consigned the Scots (coached by Julie's father Jim) to further participation at B level.[22]
In September 2000 Fleeting scored 16 goals in one match; a 27–0 win over the Isle of Man in the Celt Cup, a quadrangular tournament held in Carryduff and also featuring Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.[23] She continued to score at a prolific rate during the 2001 UEFA Women's Championship qualification campaign, scoring one and setting–up the others as Ireland were beaten 3–0 at Broadwood in the opening fixture.[24] She added two more in the return match in Dublin, another 3–0 win.[25] Fleeting also netted twice in a fractious 4–1 win over Croatia at Forthbank Stadium.[26]
Former Scotland coach Vera Pauw described Fleeting as "very strong and an extremely good header of the ball."[27]
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