Jo Fletcher
English footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Josephine Julia Fletcher (born 31 December 1980) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Watford.[2] She played at full international level for England. She hails from Malpas, Cheshire and attended Bishop Heber High School.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Josephine Julia Fletcher[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 31 December 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Chester, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Watford | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Tranmere Rovers | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2000 | Kentucky Wildcats | ||
| 2001–2002 | Oregon State Beavers | 39 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Everton | ||
| 1998–1999 | Liverpool | ||
| 2002–2003 | Tranmere Rovers | 22 | (1) |
| 2003–2004 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | ||
| 2004–2006 | Birmingham City | ||
| 2006–2007 | Charlton Athletic | ||
| 2009 | Lincoln | 1 | (0) |
| 2017– | Watford | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2005 | England | 9 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals as of 11:13, 15 September 2009 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Fletcher joined Tranmere Rovers Ladies as an under–18 player.[3] In summer 1998 she left FA Women's Premier League champions Everton for local rivals Liverpool.
Fletcher spent the US 2001 and 2002 seasons playing for Oregon State in the Pac-10 league, playing 39 times[4] In January 2003 she was selected as available to be drafted at the 2003 Women's United Soccer Association player draft.[5]
On returning to England, she re-joined Tranmere Rovers Ladies,[6] where she was coached by Tranmere Rovers' keeper John Achterberg.[7] She moved on to Doncaster Rovers Belles,[8] leaving them to join Birmingham City in June 2004.[9] She left City on joining the Army in 2005, but returned after initial training in October 2005.[10]
In the 2006 close season, Fletcher joined Charlton Athletic Ladies.[11]
But she later made a single appearance for OOH Lincoln Ladies in October 2009, deputising for Kay Hawke who was suspended.[12]
International career
Fletcher played at junior level for England[4] and made her senior debut in February 2005, against Italy.[13] She played eight further games for England, the last being against Denmark in June the same year, having been included in the Euro 2005 Squad.[14] She played in place of the injured Rachel Brown at the start of the tournament, but was replaced by Brown on her return from injury.[15] Her international career effectively ended when she joined an Army Officer Training Scheme,[10] although she was later selected for a training squad.[16]
Fletcher was allotted 158 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England's inaugural international.[17][18]
Personal life
Fletcher, a Sheffield Wednesday fan,[3] majored in Biology at Oregon State University, having transferred from the University of Kentucky,[19] both times on football scholarships.[4] She returned to the UK after graduating and briefly worked for a pharmaceutical company before joining the Royal Military Academy where she marched in Prince Harry's commissioning parade.[4] In 2005, she graduated with an MSc in Exercise Science and Nutrition from the University of Chester.[20] Her mentor while at Chester was Wendy Owen who had played in England's first national women's football team.[3]