Fara Williams – England’s highest capped player – has announced that she will retire at the end of the season.
The 37-year-old has featured on 172 occasions for the Lionesses, scoring 40 goals.
She also made five appearances for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, helping the team to reach the quarter-finals.
Williams appeared for England at seven major tournaments. She was awarded an MBE for services to women’s football and charity in 2016.
During her early years as a footballer, Williams was homeless for six years, and has worked for the homeless charity Homeless FA.
At club level, the midfielder began her career with Chelsea, before moving on to Everton in 2004.
It was there that she achieved some of her finest accomplishments, both on an individual and team level.
She won the FA Women’s Cup for the first time in 2010, having been named FA Players’ Player of the Year in 2009.
She then moved to Liverpool in 2012, winning the FA WSL in both of her opening two seasons with the club, before spells at Arsenal and current club Reading.
Williams announced in February that she had been diagnosed with a kidney condition, known as nephrotic syndrome, last year.
She said that the steroids she took to treat the condition caused weight gain and affected her on-field performances.
She has featured on 15 occasions for Reading this season in the WSL, scoring twice.
Williams retirement statement
Williams announced the news of her retirement on Twitter.
She wrote: “After much consideration & despite offers to remain in the game, I have made the difficult decision to retire from professional football at the end of the season.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have had a career of more than 20 years within the women’s game.”
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