Jayne Ludlow
Welsh footballer and coach
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jayne Louise Ludlow MBE (born 7 January 1979) is a Welsh football coach and former player. A midfielder, Ludlow played at Arsenal for 13 years, whom she also captained and was the club's all-time top goalscorer when she retired.[3][4] She represented the Wales national team from 1996 to 2012, and had been captain until her international retirement.
|
Ludlow in October 2006 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jayne Louise Ludlow[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 7 January 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Llwynypia, Wales | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Barry Town Ladies | |||
| Millwall Lionesses | |||
| Southampton Saints | |||
| 2000–2013 | Arsenal Ladies | 356 | (211) |
| 2005 | → New York Magic (loan)[2] | 6 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 1996–2012 | Wales | 61 | (19) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2013–2014 | Reading | ||
| 2014–2021 | Wales | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ludlow later moved into management and led the Wales national team and its youth teams.[5]
Early life
Ludlow's father had been a professional football player, and she began her own football career early, playing with a boys' team before having to stop aged 12.[6] Ludlow enjoyed a promising junior career in athletics, being the British record holder in the triple jump at Under-17 level and also representing the UK at the Under-20s level.[citation needed] She also represented Wales at netball and basketball.[6][7] Ludlow decided to focus on football, but had to travel to Barry Town to play since there were no girls' teams in the South Wales Valleys.[6][8]
Club career
Ludlow won a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, but left months into the four-year course due to dissatisfaction with the standard of football.[6][8] She then moved to London and played for Millwall Lionesses and Southampton Saints, while completing a physiotherapy degree at King's College, London.[8]
Joining Arsenal in 2000, Ludlow scored 28 goals from midfield as she helped the Gunners to a domestic treble in her first season. At the time, manager Vic Akers described her as "the best box-to-box player in the women's game".[8] She was voted Players' Player of the Year in 2001, an achievement she repeated in 2003 and 2004. In 2007, Ludlow was a key part of the side which won an unprecedented quadruple, scoring 24 goals, including a volley from 30 yards in Arsenal's 4–1 win over Charlton Athletic in the 2007 FA Cup final.[9][3][4][10] In the 2005 off-season, she returned to the United States to play for New York Magic.[2]
She stayed loyal to Arsenal to become vice-captain and later, captain of the side.[4][3][11]
During Arsenal's 1–0 league win at Everton in April 2010, Ludlow was red carded for an "aggressive outburst" at opponent Fara Williams.[12] This meant that club captain Ludlow was suspended for the 2010 FA Women's Cup final, in which Arsenal were beaten by Everton.
In July 2013, after a succession of injuries, Ludlow announced her retirement from playing, indicating a desire to focus on her role as an academy coach with Arsenal and Wales. Altogether with Arsenal, Ludlow won nine league titles, six FA Cups, and a UEFA Women's Cup. Ludlow is Arsenal's all-time highest goal scorer.[13][4][3]
International career
Ludlow won her first senior Wales cap at the age of 17, against the Republic of Ireland in February 1996.[14]
In November 2010, she returned to the fold following the appointment of new coach Jarmo Matikainen.[15] Ludlow then won her 50th cap, and scored her 18th goal, in captaining Wales to an 8–1 win over Bulgaria.[16]
When Ludlow retired from international football in October 2012, she was described by Matikainen as "the most successful player that Wales has ever had".[17]
Coaching career
In August 2013, Ludlow accepted a position as manager and director of Reading, who had successfully bid for a place in the FA WSL 2.[18] She stepped down from the role at the end of the 2014 FA WSL season, after being appointed manager of the Wales women's national football team on 2 October 2014.[19] Ludlow was the technical director of Manchester City Girls' Academy from April 2021 to January 2024.[5]
Playing style
Personal life
Ludlow is a supporter of Arsenal.[21] She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to women's football in Wales.[22]
Ludlow married former Arsenal teammate Ciara Grant.[23]
Managerial statistics
Honours
- Arsenal
- UEFA Women's Cup: 2006–07[3]
- FA Women's Premier League National Division: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10[25][3][26][27][28]
- FA WSL: 2011, 2012[29][30]
- FA WSL Cup: 2011, 2012[31][32]
- FA Women's Cup: 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09[33][3][34][35][28]
- Women's League Cup: 2000–01, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09[36][3][37]