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Ellen White has announced her retirement at the age of 33, finishing her career as England women’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Manchester City forward White was in the first England women’s team to lift a major trophy when she was part of the squad that won the Euro 2022 title at Wembley Stadium in July, beating Germany 2-1 in the final.
She came through the Arsenal academy before leaving to join Chelsea in 2005, where she spent three seasons before joining Leeds United.
During her time at Leeds, she scored on her England debut in a 3-0 win over Austria in March 2010.
White returned to Arsenal later in the year and stayed for three years, winning three league titles and two FA Cups in a successful spell.
She then spent time with Notts County and Birmingham City, before making the move to City. In February 2021, she became the all-time record goal scorer in the Women’s Super League.
White became England’s record scorer when she netted a hat-trick in a 20-thrashing of Latvia last year, and her shining moment came when she helped the Lionesses to European glory on home soil. She scored twice across six appearances in the tournament.
She scored 52 goals for her country, having won 113 caps.
In a statement on social media, White said: “This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life but one that I know is the right decision for me.
“And this is my time to say goodbye to football and watch the next generation shine. It has been my greatest honour and privilege to play this game.
“In particular playing for England has and always will be the greatest gift. My dreams came true on July 31, winning the Euros and becoming a European champion.
“Finally, let’s use the momentum from the Euro’s win to make sure that every young person in all communities has the opportunity to play and feel connected to all England football teams.”
