Megan Bell

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Megan Bell

| fullname = Megan Bell

| image =

| caption =

| height =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|2001|4|17}}

| birth_place = Dundonald, Northern Ireland

| position = Midfielder, Right Wing

| currentclub = Nottingham Forest

| clubnumber = 23

| youthyears1 = Ards Rangers

| youthclubs1 = Dungoyne

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Linfield

| years1 = 2015–2019

| clubs1 = Linfield

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2019–2020

| clubs2 = Durham

| caps2 = 10

| goals2 = 2

| years3 = 2020–2025

| clubs3 = Rangers

| caps3 = 24

| goals3 = 6

| years4 = 2024

| clubs4 = → Heart of Midlothian (loan)

| caps4 = 7

| goals4 = 2

| years5 = 2025–

| clubs5 = Nottingham Forest

| caps5 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2016

| nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland U17

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 3

| nationalyears2 = 2017

| nationalteam2 = Northern Ireland U19

| nationalcaps2 = 9

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| nationalyears3 = 2017–

| nationalteam3 = Northern Ireland

| nationalcaps3 = 16

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| pcupdate = 21 April 2024

| ntupdate = 12 November 2019

}}

Megan Bell (born 17 April 2001) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Nottingham Forest in the {{English football updater-W|NottingF}} and Northern Ireland.

Early life

Bell was born in Dundonald, Northern Ireland. Growing up, she idolised Steven Gerard, but was a fan of Rangers F.C.{{Cite web |date=2020-02-25 |title=Megan Bell: NI teenager on 'brilliant' start at Rangers and meeting idol Gerrard |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/51633797.amp |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-gb}}

Club career

=Linfield=

On 19 August 2015, 14-year-old Bell scored two goals for Linfield on her senior debut in a 6–1 home win over Sion Swifts.{{cite web |title=Linfield Ladies Profiles: Megan Bell |url=http://www.linfieldfc.com/linfieldladiesprofiles.aspx?id=317#profilestart |website=Linfield FC}} She won three consecutive Women's Premiership titles with Linfield between 2016 and 2018, having left Grosvenor Grammar School in 2017.{{cite web |title=NI and Linfield Ladies midfielder Megan Bell joins Durham Women |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48832700 |website=BBC |date=1 July 2019}}

=Durham=

On 9 July 2019, Bell signed with English FA Women's Championship team Durham.{{Cite web|url=https://durhamwfc.co.uk/2019/07/09/signing-durham-women-net-northern-irish-international/|title=SIGNING: Durham Women net Northern Irish international|last=Donnelly|first=Mark|date=2019-07-09|website=Durham Women FC}} The move coincided will Bell starting a degree in sport, physical activity and exercise at Durham University.{{cite web |last1=Fullerton |first1=Gareth |title=Teenager Megan inspiring a future generation of female footballers |url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/megan-bell-hoping-inspire-future-16646833 |website=belfastlive |date=25 July 2019}} On 18 August 2019, she made her debut for the team in the season opener against Leicester City, scoring in the 7th minute of a 5–1 win.{{cite web |title=Leicester City 1-5 Durham |url=https://womenscompetitions.thefa.com/Article/180819-Leicester-City-1-5-Durham |website=womenscompetitions.thefa.com}} After 14 appearances in all competitions in the first half of the season, Bell announced her departure from semi-professional Durham in January 2020 in order to concentrate solely on football.{{cite web |last1=Donnelly |first1=Mark |title=Megan Bell Departs |url=https://durhamwfc.co.uk/2020/01/04/news-megan-bell-departs/ |website=Durham Women FC |date=4 January 2020}}

=Rangers=

On 5 January 2020, Bell became a full-time footballer, signing with professional SWPL club Rangers.{{cite web |title=Gers The Best Christmas Present - Rangers Football Club, Official Website |url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/women/gers-the-best-christmas-present/ |website=Rangers Football Club |date=5 January 2020}} since then despite injuries she has made several appearances for Rangers and won the league title and sky sports cup with the club rangers currently just got into finals of the Scottish cup against Celtic

=Heart of Midlothian=

Megan joined Hearts on loan from Rangers until the end of the season on 25 January 2024.

International career

On 28 November 2017, Bell made her senior debut for Northern Ireland aged 16 years 7 months, starting in a 3–1 2019 World Cup qualifying win away to Slovakia.{{cite web |title=Slovakia v Northern Ireland |url=https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/fixtures-results/2017/november/slovakia-v-northern-ireland |website=IFA |language=en}} On 2 March 2018, Bell scored her first international goal in a 1–1 draw against Romania at the 2018 Turkish Women's Cup friendly tournament.{{cite web |title=Senior Women earn draw against Romania in Turkish Women's Cup |url=https://www.irishfa.com/news/2018/march/senior-women-earn-draw-against-romania-in-turkish-womens-cup |website=IFA |language=en}}