Claire Utley

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Claire Utley

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1979|02|11}}{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/claire-utley/20420/|title=England - Claire Utley|publisher=Soccerway|access-date=19 April 2011}}

| birth_place = South Elmsall, England

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=4}}

| position = Defender

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1=

| youthclubs1= Doncaster Rovers Belles

| years1 = 1994–2002

| years2 = 2002–2003

| years3 = 2003–2010

| years4 = 2010

| clubs1 = Doncaster Rovers Belles

| clubs2 = Leeds United Ladies

| clubs3 = Doncaster Rovers Belles

| clubs4 = Whitley Bay Ladies

| caps1=

| goals1 =

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| caps3 =

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| nationalyears1= 1998–2000

| nationalteam1= England

| nationalcaps1= 4

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| pcupdate = 11:58, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

| ntupdate =

}}

Claire Utley (born 11 February 1979) is an English former football defender, best known for her long association with Doncaster Rovers Belles. Utley represented England four times at senior international level.

Club career

In summer 1994 three players from Doncaster Belles' double-winning team left for Liverpool Ladies. As a result, Minsthorpe High School pupil Utley was drafted into the first team as a fifteen-year-old centre-back, making her debut in a 7–1 home win against Millwall Lionesses on the opening day of the 1994–95 season. In October 1994 she featured in the FA Women's Premier League Cup final, held over from the previous season, as the Belles were beaten 4–0 by Arsenal Ladies.

Utley was nicknamed Des after Des Walker. She suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury in April 2001{{cite news|url=http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/title_hopes_suffer_setback_1_515807?action=logout|title=TITLE HOPES SUFFER SETBACK|publisher=Doncaster Free Press|access-date=7 August 2011|date=19 April 2001|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224028/http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/title_hopes_suffer_setback_1_515807?action=logout|url-status=dead}} and missed a year of action, returning for the Belles' 2–1 defeat to Fulham in the 2002 FA Women's Cup final.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/fulham-too-professional-for-battling-belles-650449.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109075406/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/fulham-too-professional-for-battling-belles-650449.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 November 2012|title=Fulham too professional for battling Belles|work=The Independent|location=London|author=Tony Leighton|access-date=3 October 2010|date=7 May 2005}} She then spent a short spell at Leeds United in 2002–03.

{{cite news|url=http://www2.doncastertoday.co.uk/belles/belles.htm|title=Doncaster Belles – Meet The Squad|publisher=Doncaster Free Press|access-date=3 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008093126/http://www2.doncastertoday.co.uk/belles/belles.htm|archive-date=8 October 2011|url-status=dead}}

In 2004 Doncaster Belles suffered an exodus of players after a financial crisis, however, Utley and Vicky Exley chose to remain loyal to the club.{{cite news|url=http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/free-press-sport/BELLES-DEFY-THE-ODDS-.844896.jp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130420045433/http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/free-press-sport/BELLES-DEFY-THE-ODDS-.844896.jp|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 April 2013|title=BELLES DEFY THE ODDS|publisher=Doncaster Free Press|access-date=3 November 2010|date=26 August 2004}}

She joined Whitley Bay ahead of season 2010–11.{{cite web|url=http://www.whitleybayfc.com/women/players.htm|title=Pen Pics 2008–2009|publisher=Whitley Bay FC|access-date=2 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718042902/http://www.whitleybayfc.com/women/players.htm|archive-date=18 July 2011|url-status=dead}} After two appearances that season, Utley left the club.{{cite web|url=http://www.whitleybayfc.co.uk/women/archive/1011/|title=Season 2010-2011 Archive|publisher=Whitley Bay FC|access-date=19 November 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505102032/http://www.whitleybayfc.co.uk/women/archive/1011/|archive-date=5 May 2013|url-status=usurped}}

International career

After breaking through at Doncaster Belles, Utley was thought likely to play for England "as sure as the sun shines on the Sahara."{{cite book |title=I Lost My Heart to the Belles |last=Davies |first=Pete |year=1996 |publisher=Mandarin |location=London |isbn=0-7493-2085-0 |page=9|quote=[...] merely fifteen years old – a centre-half who, if she stayed fit and keen would play for England one day as sure as the sun shines on the Sahara.}}

Utley eventually won four caps for the senior England women's national football team.{{cite press release |url=https://www.englandfootball.com/england/womens-senior-team/Legacy?tab=Players |title=England player legacy and results archive |date=18 November 2022 |access-date=27 April 2023 |publisher=The Football Association}} She has legacy number 130 for England. The FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.{{Cite web |last=Lacey-Hatton |first=Jack |date=2022-11-18 |title=Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/lionesses-introduce-legacy-numbers-players-28529161 |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=mirror |language=en}}

References

Category:1979 births

Category:Living people

Category:English women's footballers

Category:England women's international footballers

Category:Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C. players

Category:Leeds United Women F.C. players

Category:FA Women's National League players

Category:Women's association football defenders

Category:Footballers from West Yorkshire

Category:People from South Elmsall