Katie Chapman

Club career

Millwall Chapman joined Millwall Lionesses as a ten-year-old, and made her first team debut at 14 in the 1996–97 season. Lou Waller, who scored Millwall's winning goal in the FA Women's Cup final victory over Wembley, had been Chapman's coach in the club's youth teams. In the 1998–99 season, Chapman was named Young Player of the Year in the first ever FA Women's Football Awards.

Fulham In June 2000, Chapman signed a contract with newly professional Fulham to become one of the first full-time professional female players in England. In her first season with the Cottagers, Chapman won the South West Combination Women's Football League, the third level of women's football, and was again named FA Young Player of the Year. She also played in Fulham's 1–0 FA Women's Cup final defeat to Arsenal.

In the 2001–02 season, Chapman helped Fulham win the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division and promotion to the top flight. She also scored two goals in the 7–1 Premier League Cup final win over Birmingham City, after which Fulham's manager Gaute Haugenes claimed Chapman was good enough to play in any national side in the world. Chapman then scored the winning goal in the 2–1 FA Women's Cup final victory over Doncaster Belles, a volley from 20 yards. In conclusion to the 2001–02 season, Chapman went on to be awarded the Ladies Player of the Season, as well as, winning the Nationwide International Player of the Year award.

Chapman sat out most of the following season due to pregnancy, as Fulham won a treble of FA Women's Premier League National Division, FA Women's Cup and Premier League Cup. She made the announcement during half-time of a match against Tranmere Rovers, and was promptly substituted by Haugenes – who quipped that he was not permitted to have 12 players on the pitch at once. When Chapman returned to action, in the FA Women's Community Shield in August 2003, Fulham were no longer a professional outfit. She represented Fulham in that season's UEFA Women's Cup campaign. In March 2004, Chapman played in Fulham's Premier League Cup final defeat to Charlton Athletic. She played in the Addicks 3–0 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League Cup final in March 2005. She then missed the conclusion of the 2004–05 season, including Charlton's FA Women's Cup win, with a broken hand sustained on international duty. In March 2006, Chapman played in her third successive Premier League Cup final, as Charlton beat Arsenal 2–1.

Arsenal Chapman signed for league champions Arsenal in July 2006. She marked her Gunners debut with the opening goal in a 3–0 Community Shield win over Everton at Gresty Road. In Chapman's first season at the club, Arsenal claimed an unprecedented quadruple, winning the FA Premier League Cup, FA Women's Cup, FA Women's Premier League and the UEFA Women's Cup. Arsenal's assistant coach Emma Hayes described Chapman as "a rock that makes everything around her better. She was the engine and heartbeat of the successful quadruple-winning team." Midway through the 2007–08 season, Chapman's second pregnancy ruled her out of the rest of the campaign.

During the 2008–09 season, Chapman returned to help Arsenal retain the league title; she also scored the opening goal in the 2009 FA Women's Cup final at Pride Park against Sunderland, in a game which ended 2–1 to Arsenal. She had also featured in Arsenal's 5–0 Premier League Cup final win over Doncaster Rovers Belles.

Chicago Red Stars In December 2009, WPS club Chicago Red Stars signed Chapman, The Red Stars announced that Chapman would join the club in time for the 2010 WPS season, joining up with former Arsenal coach Emma Hayes and England team-mate Karen Carney. After making 21 appearances during the campaign, Chapman negotiated a mutual release from her contract and returned to Arsenal. It was reported that Chapman's husband had difficulty finding employment in the United States, so she returned home for the sake of her family. In May 2011, following injuries to Faye White and Jayne Ludlow, Chapman captained the Arsenal team which beat Bristol Academy 2–0 at the Ricoh Arena to reclaim the FA Women's Cup.

Arsenal and Chapman won the first two editions of the FA WSL in 2011 and 2012. In March 2013, Arsenal announced that Chapman was seven months pregnant and would miss the first half of the 2013 campaign. She returned to the team in a friendly win over Coventry City in July 2013, following the birth of her third child.

On 3 August 2013, Chapman made a substitute appearance in Arsenal's 3–0 FA WSL win over Liverpool. The FA decreed she had not been properly registered and Arsenal were deducted three points. The blunder meant that Arsenal – champions for the last nine consecutive seasons – could not finish higher than third and would not qualify for the 2014–15 UEFA Women's Champions League, unless they won the 2013–14 competition.

Chelsea

In January 2014, Chelsea announced the double transfer of Chapman and Gilly Flaherty from Arsenal. The move reunited Chapman with Emma Hayes, her coach from Arsenal and Chicago. She hoped that training more regularly with Chelsea would kick start her international career. In August 2015, Chapman captained Chelsea in their FA Women's Cup final against Notts County, the first time the event had been staged at Wembley Stadium. She described the experience as "overwhelming". Chelsea's 1–0 win before a Cup final record 30,710 crowd secured the club's first major trophy. It was the ninth FA Women's Cup winner's medal of Chapman's career. In October 2015 she played in Chelsea's 4–0 win over Sunderland which secured the club's first FA WSL title and a League and Cup "double".

At the 2018 FA Women's Cup final, Chapman secured a record 10th winner's medal as Chelsea beat Arsenal 3–1 at Wembley. Five days later, she announced that she was retiring from football at the end of the 2017–18 season.

International career As a 16-year-old, Chapman was called into the England U–18 team, and captained her country at that level. Chapman's first senior start came in an 8–0 reverse to Norway in June 2000. Despite the heavy defeat she was praised for her performance by national coach Hope Powell. England qualified for the final tournament with Chapman named Player of the Match in the away leg of the play-off win over Ukraine.

At UEFA Women's Euro 2001, Chapman played in all three of England's games and was praised for her performances by UEFA

In March 2002, Chapman headed her first goal for England in a 4–1 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification win in the Netherlands. She was named FA International Player of the Year for 2002. Without Chapman – pregnant with her first child – England eventually failed to reach the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup after a play-off defeat to France.

Despite a hand injury, Chapman also played every minute of all three games for England at UEFA Women's Euro 2005, now featuring in midfield as she did at club level. At the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, Chapman started three matches, missing the group game against Argentina after picking up her second booking of the tournament during an impressive performance against Germany.

On Chapman's return to the team she scored two goals in a Cyprus Cup win over South Africa in March 2009. It was her first appearance for England since October 2007, due to the birth of her second child. In May 2009, Chapman was one of the first 17 female players to be given central contracts by The Football Association. She was an ever-present in midfield during England's run to the final of UEFA Women's Euro 2009. In 2010, Chapman was named FA International Player of the Year for the second time.

Ahead of a March 2011 friendly against the United States, Chapman unexpectedly withdrew from the England squad and quit international football. The decision, related to Chapman's family commitments, was reported to have left England's World Cup preparations in disarray. Powell praised Chapman as "a wonderful servant to England over the years". Chapman later confirmed she had been unhappy about a perceived lack of support with childcare costs and arrangements while on international duty. At the 2011 World Cup, Powell stressed that the FA had tried hard to accommodate Chapman's requirements: "Katie was away with us in 2009 when we paid for her family to come along but at the end of the day there is not a bottomless pit of money in the women's game."

In September 2013, after Powell had been sacked, Chapman gave an interview to BBC Radio 5 Live in which she lamented her treatment. Chapman recalled that she asked for time off to look after her children in a brief conversation with Powell, only to receive an e-mail cancelling her central contract three hours later. She clarified that she had never retired from international football and that she still wanted to return and win 100 caps.

Powell's successor Mark Sampson eventually recalled Chapman to the national team squad in February 2015, for a friendly against the United States in Milton Keynes. In May 2015, Sampson confirmed Chapman in his final squad for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, to be hosted in Canada. During the tournament, Chapman celebrated her 33rd birthday and her husband and children flew out for a surprise visit. Despite her selection she made further public criticisms of the FA's ongoing lack of childcare arrangements. England eventually finished in third place after Chapman, starting her fifth match of the tournament, helped them beat Germany 1–0 in the bronze medal play-off.

Chapman's final appearance for England came in April 2016. In September 2017, she accused Sampson of leaving her out of the national team because she was getting divorced.

She was allotted 132 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England's inaugural international.

Great Britain Olympic In June 2012, Chapman was not included in the final 18-player Great Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics. She had made the 35-player longlist but was hurt and disappointed to be overlooked for the event in her home city. Chapman felt that her decision to withdraw from the England squad had caused Hope Powell – who managed Great Britain as well as England – to leave her out.

Personal life Chapman has three children with former husband Mark Wilkinson, a construction worker she met while he coached at Millwall Lionesses. In the 2002–03 season, Chapman sat out Fulham's treble winning season while pregnant with her first child, but returned in August 2003 and played in the FA Women's Community Shield win over Doncaster Belles.

In January 2008, Chapman announced she was pregnant with her second child, and as a result played no further part in Arsenal's 2007–08 season. Chapman returned to Arsenal for the 2008–09 season and assisted in their 5–1 victory over Nottingham Forest, in Carlton, on 18 September. She divorced Wilkinson in 2016. and has trained as a beautician. She has a twin, Sophie, who she played alongside at Millwall Lionesses.

Career statistics Scores and results list England's goal tally first. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 23 March 2002 Zuiderpark Stadion, The Hague, Netherlands 1–0 4–1 2003 World Cup qualifier 2. 27 October 2005 Tapolca Stadium, Tapolca, Hungary 5–0 13–0 2007 World Cup qualifier 3. 13 May 2007 Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham, England 3–0 4–0 Euro 2009 qualifier 4. 17 May 2007 Roots Hall, Southend-on-Sea, England 2–0 4–0 Friendly 5. 4–0 6. 5 March 2009 GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus 5–0 6–0 2009 Cyprus Cup 7. 6–0 8. 1 April 2010 New Den, London, England 1–0 1–0 2011 World Cup qualifier

Honours

Millwall Lionesses FA Women's Cup: 1996–97 FA Women's Premier League Cup: 1996–97

Fulham FA Women's Premier League National Division: 2002–03 FA Women's Premier League Southern Division: 2001–02 South East Combination Women's Football League: 2000–01 FA Women's Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03 FA Women's Premier League Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03

Charlton Athletic FA Women's Cup: 2004–05 FA Women's Premier League Cup: 2005–06

Arsenal FA WSL: 2011, 2012 FA Women's Premier League National Division: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09 UEFA Women's Cup: 2006–07 FA Women's Cup: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11 FA Women's Premier League Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09 FA WSL Cup: 2011 FA Women's Community Shield: 2006

Chelsea FA WSL: 2015 FA Women's Cup: 2014–15, 2017–18

England Cyprus Women's Cup: 2009, 2015 UEFA Women's Championship runner-up: 2009 FIFA Women's World Cup third place: 2015

Individual

FA Women's Young Player of the Year: 1998–99, 2000–01 FA Women's International Player of the Year: 2001–02, 2009–10