*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:58, 11 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 February 2021
Stephanie Jayne Darby[1]MBE (née Houghton, /ˈhoʊtən/,[4] born 23 April 1988), commonly known as Steph Houghton, is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains Women's Super League club Manchester City. Known for her leadership and commitment, Houghton is widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the world.[5][6]
At club level, Houghton started at Sunderland in her native North East England, before moving on to Leeds Carnegie in 2007, where she won the FA Women's Premier League Cup. In 2010, she joined Arsenal Ladies, where she won the FA WSL on two occasions and is a two-time winner of the FA Women's Cup and three-time winner of the FA WSL Cup. She broke into the Sunderland team as a striker before moving back into midfield and later into defence.
Since her debut in 2007, Houghton has played over 100 times for England women's national team.[7] She suffered serious injuries immediately before the 2007 World Cup and Euro 2009, but recovered to play in the 2011 World Cup and Euro 2013. She was made England captain in January 2014, and went on to captain her country at two World Cups and a Women's Euro, earning a bronze medal at the 2015 World Cup. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Houghton scored three goals in Great Britain's four games, including winners against New Zealand and Brazil. She represented Great Britain again in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Houghton was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to football.[8] She was awarded the Freedom of the City of Sunderland on 8 March 2023.[9][10]
^ ab"Women's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020: Squad list, Great Britain" (PDF). FIFA. 7 July 2021. p. 6. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
^ abc"FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015: List of players: England" (PDF). FIFA. 6 July 2015. p. 10. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
^Hubbard, Alan (22 May 2011). "Houghton is football's Jill of all trades". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^"Steph Houghton confirms how to pronounce her surname after years of commentators getting it wrong". Sunderland Echo. 9 March 2023. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
^Oatway, Caroline. "Steph Houghton: A true blue leader". Manchester City. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
^BBC News (27 March 2024). "Steph Houghton: Manchester City defender and ex-England captain to retire". yahoo.com. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
^"Stephanie Houghton". The FA. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
^"No. 61450". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2015. p. N20.
^"Steph Houghton, Gary Bennett and Jill Scott given freedom of Sunderland". BBC News Tyne and Wear. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
^"Photograph's of Steph Houghton's Freedom of the City Ceremony". Twitter. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
Stephanie Jayne Darby MBE (née Houghton, /ˈhoʊtən/, born 23 April 1988), commonly known as StephHoughton, is an English professional footballer who plays...
that it was special to win a trophy at Wembley; Cushing and captain StephHoughton heaped praise on Walsh's performance and maturity. City was the first...
curler StephHoughton (born 1988), English footballer Steph Key (born 1954), Australian politician Stephanie LeDrew (born 1984), Canadian curler Steph McGovern...
2022, she was appointed permanent England captain; previous captain StephHoughton had suggested Williamson was one of the players who could eventually...
Cup, reached 90 captaincies in 1973, sharing the record with Wright. StephHoughton has the record for captaincies of the women's team, and outright second-most...
Euros 2022: England name StephHoughton in provisional squad". BBC Sport. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022. "StephHoughton: Former England captain...
her first years with England, she played as a centre-half alongside StephHoughton, with Alex Scott first choice in Bronze's preferred right-back role...
from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2017. "Team GB: StephHoughton, Sophie Ingle and Caroline Weir in Olympics squad". bbc.co.uk. 27 May...
2015 Cyprus Cup, and led the team to winning the trophy as captain StephHoughton was out injured. Nobbs was named in the squad for the Women's World...
England's men's, women's and cerebral palsy football teams (Wayne Rooney, StephHoughton and Jack Rutter). On 27 November, the FA announced it was to set up...
give Lionesses win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 October 2019. "Team GB: StephHoughton, Sophie Ingle and Caroline Weir in Olympics squad". bbc.co.uk. 27 May...
demoted Parris from penalty-taking duties in favour of the captain StephHoughton. Houghton's poorly-struck penalty was saved and England went on to finish...
Football Association. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019. "Team GB: StephHoughton, Sophie Ingle and Caroline Weir in Olympics squad". bbc.co.uk. 27 May...
'incredible' 100th Wales cap". BBC Sport. 20 September 2020. "Team GB: StephHoughton, Sophie Ingle and Caroline Weir in Olympics squad". BBC Sport. 27 May...
side"; as well as Bronze, Nobbs, and Stokes, this included Jill Scott, StephHoughton and Carly Telford. In her first season in senior football, she was instrumental...
through Change.org to include female players), England's Eniola Aluko and StephHoughton, Germany's Célia Šašić, Canada's Christine Sinclair and Sweden's Kosovare...
Scott Hogan (brother) Eric Houghton, Roy Houghton (brother), Reg Goodacre (cousin), Chris Woods (great-nephew) StephHoughton, Stephen Darby (husband) Lee...
played with Boldon CA girls' team, as did future England teammates StephHoughton and Jill Scott; as part of the "Where Greatness Is Made" campaign, plaques...
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