Ciara Grant (footballer, born 1978)
 Grant (centre) playing for Arsenal in October 2006 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ciara Mary Grant[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 17 May 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Waterford, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Reading Ladies | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Benfica (Waterford) | |||
| 19??–1998 | St. Patrick's Athletic | ||
| 1998– | Arsenal Ladies | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 1995–2012 | Republic of Ireland | 102 | (11) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20 February 2013 | |||
Ciara Mary Grant (born 17 May 1978) is an Irish female international football midfielder from Waterford. She currently plays her club football for Reading Ladies. She has been a member of both the treble and quadruple winning Arsenal sides.
Club career
Grant began her career with Waterford side Benfica. After a spell with St. Patrick's Athletic,[2] she joined Arsenal Ladies in August 1998.[3] She was employed as a development officer by the English club.[4]
In her first season Grant scored an equaliser against Everton as Arsenal won the Premier League Cup final 3–1. Arsenal also won the 1999 FA Women's Cup, but finished second to Croydon in the League.[4] In the following campaign Arsenal and Grant retained the Premier League Cup, but lost in the FA Women's Cup semi-final and came third in the League.[4] In 2000–01 Arsenal completed a domestic treble, with Grant providing an assist for the decisive goal in the FA Women's Cup final win over Fulham.[5]
That achievement was eclipsed in 2007, as Arsenal added the UEFA Women's Cup to their trophy haul, completing an unprecedented quadruple. Grant remained an important part of the team, but had been converted from a midfielder to a central defender.[6]
International career
Grant has reached a century of caps for Ireland and, since 2000,[7] has captained the national side. She made her debut as a teenager, in a 3–1 win over the Faroe Islands at Richmond Park.[4][8]
She won her 100th cap in Ireland's 2–1 defeat to Scotland at Tynecastle Stadium in April 2012.[9]
Grant announced her retirement from international football in February 2013 [10]
Honours
- 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10.
- 1998–99, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09.
- 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08.
- 2007
References
- ^ "Player Statistics". FIFA. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ "Senior Women Player Profiles". Football Association of Ireland. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ "7. Ciara Grant". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ a b c d Peter Carbery (3 September 2000). "Gunner Grant sets her sights". Sunday Times.
- ^ John Murphy (21 June 2001). "Gunners heroine Ciara gets sportstar award". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ "Senior Women Player Profiles". Football Association of Ireland. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Declan Hughes (27 October 2000). "Opel's Ireland Player of the Year nominees". Womens Soccer World. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ "Ciara Grant". UEFA. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Campbell, Alan (6 April 2012). "Two late goals keep Scotland in the running". The Herald. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ [1]