Northern Ireland football legend Rachel Furness has today announced her retirement from both club and international football, bringing to a close a remarkable career that has spanned two decades.
Furness, 36, bows out as Northern Ireland’s all-time leading goalscorer — across both the women’s and men’s teams — having netted 38 goals in 95 appearances for the senior women’s side.
Renowned for her fierce determination, commanding midfield presence and leadership on and off the pitch, she has been a cornerstone of the national team since making her debut in March 2005.
Her international career reached its pinnacle when she played a vital role in helping Northern Ireland qualify for their first ever major tournament, UEFA Women’s Euro 2022.
Furness featured in all qualifying matches, scoring several key goals, including a decisive strike in the play-off win over Ukraine that sealed an historic place at the finals. She went on to appear in all three of Northern Ireland’s group matches at the tournament.
At club level Furness has represented a host of top teams in England and abroad. Her club career included spells with Sunderland, Reading, Tottenham Hotspur (loan), Liverpool, Bristol City and Icelandic side Grindavík. She also enjoyed two stints with her childhood club Newcastle United, where she finished her career this season, scoring twice in 18 appearances.
In the Women’s Super League the attacking midfielder, who turns 37 later this month, made exactly 100 appearances and scored 13 goals, becoming a consistent and respected figure across multiple top tier clubs.
Her final appearance for Northern Ireland came in a UEFA Nations League match against Hungary in October 2023, while her last international goals were a memorable brace in a 9-0 win over North Macedonia at Seaview in November 2021. Her first senior international goal came back in October 2005 against Romania.
Off the pitch Furness was recognised with the BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year award in 2021 — a fitting honour for a player who has done so much to raise the profile of the women’s game in Northern Ireland.
Furness (pictured training in Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this week) said: “I gave everything to football and in return it rewarded me with so much more than I could have imagined.”
Paying tribute to her, Northern Ireland senior women’s team manager Tanya Oxtoby said: “Rachel has been the ultimate professional the entire time I have known her, whether she’s been in the squad or not. The respect she’s shown, and her ability to always put the team first, speaks volumes about her character.
“She came into the last two camps and gave the squad a real lift to ensure we got the job done — that really speaks to the person she is. I’m so glad we could send her off in style. She has done so much for this country.”
