Laura Bassett

Laura Bassett

Bassett playing for Birmingham City in October 2006
Personal information
Full nameLaura Bassett
Date of birth2 August 1983
Place of birthNuneaton,[1] England
Height1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)[2]
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current team
Notts County
Number23
Youth career
1993–1997Bedworth Girls
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1997–2000Coventry City Ladies
2000–2008Birmingham City Ladies
2006→ New York Magic (loan)
2008–2009Arsenal Ladies
2009–2010Leeds United Ladies
2010–2013Birmingham City Ladies39(0)
2014Chelsea Ladies13(0)
2015–Notts County0(0)
National team‡
2003–England44(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:36, 14 February 2015 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17:36, 14 February 2015 (UTC)

Laura Bassett (born 2 August 1983) is an English international football defender. She is playing for FA WSL club Notts County, having previously played at the top level for Birmingham City (two separate spells), Arsenal, Leeds Carnegie and Chelsea. Bassett has accrued over 40 caps for the England women's national football team since her debut in 2003, being part of the squad at UEFA Women's Euro 2009, the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and UEFA Women's Euro 2013.

Club career

Bassett grew up in Bulkington and joined Bedworth girls as a nine-year-old. At 14 she joined Coventry City and played in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division while still a pupil at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College.[3] She then moved to Birmingham City and became captain,[4] while on a scholarship at the FA Player Development Centre at Loughborough University. She spent summer 2006 playing in the W-League with New York Magic.[5]

Bassett left Birmingham for Arsenal in 2008.[6] She signed for Leeds Carnegie in October 2009[7] and helped the Yorkshire club win the Premier League Cup in February 2010.[8]

After Leeds' funding and FA WSL bid collapsed, Bassett spent a period without a club.[9] In October 2010 it was revealed that she had re-signed for Birmingham City.[10] In April 2012 Bassett was appointed as one of eight digital media ambassadors, one from each team, who wear their Twitter account name on their shirt sleeves to raise the profile of the WSL.[11] At the end of the 2013 season, club captain Bassett rejected Birmingham's offer of a new contract and joined Chelsea.[12]

With Bassett Chelsea finished as runners-up in the 2014 FA WSL, but she signed a three-year contract with Notts County ahead of the 2015 campaign.[13]

International career

Bassett represented England at youth level.[3][5] When she made her senior debut against Italy in February 2003,[14] she became the first Birmingham City Ladies player to play for England at full international level.[15]

In May 2009, Bassett was one of the first 17 female players to be given central contracts by The Football Association.[16] She made her FIFA Women's World Cup debut in July 2011, replacing Ellen White for the final minute of England's 2–0 group B win over Japan.[17]

Bassett scored a last-minute equaliser in England's opening UEFA Women's Euro 2013 match against Spain, but Karen Bardsley's injury time own goal gave the Spanish a 3–2 win.[18]

International goals

Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 12 July 2013 Arena Linköping, Linköping, Sweden  Spain 2–2 2–3 Euro 2013
2. 21 August 2014 Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff  Wales 4–0 4–0 2015 FIFA World Cup qualification

References

  1. ↑ "Behind the scenes". TheFA.com. 4 October 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  2. ↑ "List of Players". FIFA. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Michelle Wilson (18 May 2000). "Meet England's new centre-half – Laura Bassett; football". Coventry Evening Telegraph. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "Laura works hard, plays hard!". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Nordic squad for Norway". TheFA.com. 22 June 2006. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  6. ↑ "Contenders: Bassett". TheFA.com. 24 December 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  7. ↑ "Leeds second after frantic finale". Leeds United Ladies. 28 October 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  8. ↑ Tony Leighton (11 February 2010). "Leeds Carnegie lift first major trophy with defeat of Everton". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  9. ↑ "England prepare for Austria". Women's Soccer Scene. 6 August 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  10. ↑ "Hope names Peace Cup squad". TheFA.com. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  11. ↑ "Women's Super League launches Twitter kit initiative to raise profile". BBC Sport. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  12. ↑ "Laura Bassett quits Birmingham to sign for Chelsea Ladies". BBC Sport. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Notts County Ladies: Laura Bassett & Alex Greenwood join". BBC Sport. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "Young England beaten by Italy". TheFA.com. 25 February 2003. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  15. ↑ "Club History". Birmingham City L.F.C. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  16. ↑ "England Women awarded contracts". BBC Sport. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
  17. ↑ Jonathan Stevenson (5 July 2011). "Women's World Cup: England 2–0 Japan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  18. ↑ Magowan, Alistair (12 July 2013). "England 2 3 Spain". Linkoping, Sweden: BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 February 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laura Bassett.