Rhian Wilkinson

Rhian Wilkinson

Rhian Wilkinson (7) and Ella Masar (3)
in Chicago Red Stars vs Boston Breakers on June 9, 2013
Personal information
Full nameRhian Emilie Wilkinson
Date of birthMay 12, 1982
Place of birthPointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Playing positionDefender, midfielder, striker
Club information
Current team
Portland Thorns FC
Number22
Youth career
1997–1999Quebec provincial team
1997–1998Lakers Lac St. Louis
2000–2002Tennessee Lady Vols
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2003–2005Ottawa Fury38(13)
2005–2012Team Strømmen71(10)
2009→ Western Mass Pioneers (loan)[1]1(0)
2010–2011→ Surrey United (loan)[2]10(1)
2013Boston Breakers14(2)
2014Laval Comets4(0)
2015–Portland Thorns FC0(0)
National team‡
2003–Canada151(7)
Teams managed
2009Tennessee Lady Vols (Assistant coach)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of April 15, 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of March 13, 2014

Rhian Emilie Wilkinson (born May 12, 1982) is a Canadian professional soccer defender and former striker, who currently plays for Portland Thorns FC in the National Women's Soccer League. She is also a member of the Canadian national team, with whom she won an Olympic bronze medal at London 2012. She has played as a forward and midfielder, but is primarily an offensively-minded right fullback who carries the ball forward and makes crosses in the attacking zone.

Early life

Wilkinson was born in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, to parents Keith Wilkinson and Shan Evans. Her Danish-born English father is a former director of the Canada national rugby union team. Her mother was born in Wales. She has an older brother, David, and a twin sister named Sara.[3] She attended Villa Maria High School in Montreal and was Valedictorian of her class. She played for the Quebec provincial team from 1997 to 1999 and was named most valuable player in 1999 after helping the club to the silver medal at the nationals. In 1997 and 1998, she helped Lac St. Louis Lakers earn two silver medals at the national club championships.[3] She was selected as the Greater Montreal Athletic Association's Most Valuable Soccer Player in 2000, and attended the national training center camp for the under-19 Canadian national team in 2001.[3] Wilkinson competed for the Lakeshore, a female ice hockey team, and also played rugby from 1998 to 1999.[4]

University of Tennessee

Wilkinson majored in speech communication and English at the University of Tennessee and was chosen as the University of Tennessee's Lady Vols' Offensive Most Valuable Player in 2002.[5]

Playing career

Club

Wilkinson was named to the 2003 W-League All Star team and the 2004 W-League Championship All Tournament team,[6] She won the W-League 2005 Scoring Championship and tied for the assist leader with 38 points on 13 goals and 12 assists.

She began playing for Team Strømmen of the Norwegian league in autumn 2005 and maintained her relationship with the club over the course of eight seasons.[7][8]

In 2013 she played for the Boston Breakers in the new National Women's Soccer League. She played several games for Boston as a midfielder, scoring twice.

She signed with the Laval Comets of the W-League in 2014.

In 2015, Wilkson joined Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League through NWSL Player Allocation.[9]

Rhian WIlkinson playing for Canada, 2011

International

Wilkinson won bronze with Canada at the 2007 Pan American Games,[10] and gold at the 2011 Pan American Games where Canada defeated Brazil 4–3 in penalty kicks. She captured an Olympic bronze medal at London 2012 after Canada defeated France 1–0 on August 9, 2012, in Coventry, England.[11] She contributed three assists in the first two games for Canada at the 2014 Cyprus Cup.[12]

Honours

Coaching career

Wilkinson is a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, University of Tennessee.[3]

Personal life

Wilksinson plays both the cello and the trumpet, and is a member of the Suzuki Strings Orchestra since 1994.[16] She participated in the 1997 Quebec Winter Games in ringette.

References

External links