Rachel Daly

Rachel Ann Daly (born 6 December 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays predominantly as a striker for Aston Villa in the FA Women's Super League. Having spent most of her career with Houston Dash in the NWSL, she spent her youth career at Leeds United, for which she also made her senior debut. She represented England and Great Britain.

A versatile player, since 2019 Daly has played in defence, midfield, and attack. With Leeds United she won the Premier League Cup in 2010; with Houston Dash she won the NWSL Challenge Cup in 2020, as well as the Golden Boot and MVP awards for the competition. In her first season with Aston Villa, Daly became the WSL Golden Boot winner, PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year, Player of the Season, was featured in the Team of the Year, and twice won the Player of the Month award for the 2022–23 season. She holds the joint record for most goals in a WSL season, with 22 goals.

Playing at all youth levels for England, Daly scored her first senior international goal on her debut in June 2016. With England, she made 84 appearances, winning the Euro 2022 and the 2023 Women's Finalissima, and taking silver at the 2023 World Cup.

College career
Despite playing just three years for the St. John's University Red Storm from 2012 to 2015, Daly set the school's career records for both goals (50) and points (111). As a freshman, she did not see game action due to NCAA compliance regulations. During her second year, she played and started in all 21 games and set St. John's single-season records in goals (23) and points (50), becoming the program's first-ever player to be named a NSCAA All-American, after earning Second Team honours.

As a junior, she was the team's leading player in points with 18, including eight goals and two assists. As a senior, she appeared in 20 games, making 19 starts, and finished as the leading scorer on the team with 19 goals and five assists for a total of 18 points. She became the first player in program history to be selected to the NSCAA All-America First Team and the first to be named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy.

Youth
Coming from the youth department of Leeds United LFC, Daly initially played in the English League for Leeds United and Lincoln Ladies at a young age. She played for the W-League franchises Los Angeles Strikers and Los Angeles Blues in 2013 and 2014. With the latter she won the W-League championship with a clear 6–1 in the final over the Washington Spirit reserve team. After another season with WPSL participant SoCal FC, Daly took part in the college draft for the 2016 season of the NWSL after graduating.

Houston Dash
Daly was selected by NWSL club Houston Dash as the sixth overall pick of the 2016 NWSL College Draft. The NWSL Media Association voted Daly Player of the Week for the first week of the season after she contributed a goal and an assist in the Dash's 3–1 win against the Chicago Red Stars. She appeared in 16 games in the 2016 season, tallying four goals and four assists.

Daly returned to the Dash for the 2017 season, appearing in 23 games and scoring five goals. On 20 November 2017, the Houston Dash announced that Daly had signed a new contract with the club.

In the 2018 season, Daly was named Player of the Week for week nine, as well as Player of the Month for the month of May. Daly started all 24 games for the Dash and scored a career high 10 goals. She was voted team MVP and named to the NWSL Second XI for the 2018 season.

Daly was named captain of the Dash ahead of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. The Dash won the Cup, their first trophy, after a 2–0 win over the Chicago Red Stars in the final. Daly won the tournament Golden Boot and on 25 July 2020 was named tournament MVP.

Loan to West Ham United
On 3 September 2020, Daly joined West Ham United on a loan that expired 11 January 2021.

Aston Villa
On 9 August 2022, it was announced that Daly had signed a three-year deal with Aston Villa. She made her competitive debut for the club on 18 September that year, scoring 2 goals in a 4–3 win over Manchester City. She scored her first hat-trick for the club in a 3–1 win over Reading at Villa Park two months later. She again scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture against Reading in a 5–0 win at the Madejski Stadium. Daly scored 22 goals in the 2022–23 WSL season, winning the Golden Boot and equalling Vivianne Miedema's record for the most goals scored in a single season. She was awarded Player of the Season.

In the FA Cup she scored 6 goals in 4 games, including 4 in an 11–0 win versus AFC Fylde, finishing as the joint second top scorer alongside Sam Kerr and one goal behind top scorer Bunny Shaw.

On 24 August 2023, it was announced that Daly would change shirt number from 8 to 9.

International career
Daly has represented England at the U-15, U-17, U-19, and U-23 levels. She was a member of England's U-17 World Cup team that finished fourth in New Zealand in 2008.

When Mark Sampson replaced Hope Powell as England coach, he named Daly in his first squad in December 2013. She won her first senior cap in June 2016, scoring in England's 7–0 Euro 2017 qualifying win over Serbia. Daly was left off Sampson's squad for the Euro 2017.

After not being called up for nearly a year, Daly was included in England's squad for the 2018 SheBelieves Cup by new head coach Phil Neville. Daly featured in four of England's World Cup qualifying games in 2018, as England won their group and qualified for the 2019 World Cup. She won the 2019 SheBelieves Cup with England, where she appeared in two games and played all 90 minutes in a 2–2 draw against the United States.

In July 2022 Daly was included, and started every game at left back, with the England squad which won the Euro 2022. In November 2022, she started her first international match as a forward during a series of friendlies in which manager Sarina Wiegman was trying out options to replace the perennial but recently-retired number 9 Ellen White, with Daly saying "she will play wherever Wiegman needs her".

On 19 February 2023, Daly was once again played as a centre-forward in an Arnold Clark Cup match against Italy: in the occasion, she scored a brace that helped England gain a 2–1 win. On 31 May 2023, Daly was named to the squad for the 2023 World Cup in July 2023 and scored the final goal in England's 6–1 defeat of China.

On 10 April 2024, the morning after appearing in England's 2–0 Euro 2025 qualifying win over Republic of Ireland, Daly announced her retirement from international football on her Instagram account. Daly made 84 appearances for England, scoring 16 times while playing in a variety of positions in attack and defense.

Great Britain Olympic
In May 2021, Daly was named to the Team GB squad as one of six defenders in the squad. She appeared in all four games for Team GB, starting in three of the games.

Personal life
She has previously dated Dash teammate Kristie Mewis and Manchester United WSL player Millie Turner. She is currently in a relationship with Aston Villa teammate Sarah Mayling.

As part of the "Where Greatness Is Made" campaign, a plaque honouring Daly was installed at the Killinghall Nomads ground in Killinghall, Harrogate.

International

 * Statistics accurate as of match played 9 April 2024.


 * Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Daly goal.

Honours
Leeds United
 * FA Women's Premier League Cup: 2010

Houston Dash
 * NWSL Challenge Cup: 2020

England

Individual
 * FIFA Women's World Cup runner-up: 2023
 * UEFA Women's Championship: 2022
 * Women's Finalissima: 2023
 * SheBelieves Cup: 2019
 * Arnold Clark Cup: 2022, 2023
 * NWSL Second XI: 2018, 2021
 * NWSL Challenge Cup Most Valuable Player: 2020
 * NWSL Challenge Cup Best XI: 2020
 * NWSL Challenge Cup Golden Boot: 2020
 * PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year: 2022–23
 * PFA Team of the Year: 2022–23 FA WSL
 * WSL Player of the Month: September 2022, November 2022
 * WSL Goal of the Month: November 2023
 * WSL Player of the Season: 2022–23
 * WSL Golden Boot: 2022–23