Fern Whelan

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Fern Whelan
Whelan in 2017
Personal information
Full name Gabriella Fern Whelan[1]
Date of birth (1988-12-05) 5 December 1988 (age 35)
Place of birth Liverpool, England
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Liverpool Feds
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2005
Liverpool
2005–2014
Everton
 22 (1)
2015–2017 Notts County 18 (2)
2017
Everton
2017–2019 Brighton & Hove Albion 23 (2)
International career‡
2011– England 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:05, 21 May 2017 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12:05, 21 May 2017 (UTC)

Gabriella Fern Whelan (born 5 December 1988)

Everton in her native Merseyside and Notts County. She has represented England women's national football team at youth and senior level. A quick central defender, Whelan was named the FA Women's Young Player of the Year in 2008.[4]

Personal life

Whelan attended St Pascal Baylon School in Court Hey.[5] She was in a relationship with fellow footballer Aileen Whelan as of 2021.[6]

Club career

Whelan started playing football for her school's boys' team.

Everton Ladies
during the 2005 close season.

After playing in every round of the

cruciate ligaments in January 2008.[7] Despite missing half the season with the injury, she was named the FA Young Player of the Year for 2007–08.[2][8]

In the

2010 FA Women's Cup Final, Whelan came on as a second-half substitute for Rachel Unitt as Everton beat Arsenal 3–2 in extra time.[9] After aggravating her previous knee injury, Whelan underwent surgery which saw her miss the entire 2012 and 2013 seasons. She declared a "brilliant feeling" in returning to the squad for 2014.[10] Whelan was a late substitute in Everton's 2–0 2014 FA Women's Cup final defeat by Arsenal.[11] When the 2014 season culminated in Everton's relegation, Whelan signed for Notts County on a two-year contract.[12]

In March 2017, Whelan agreed an extension to her Notts County contract,[13] only for the club to fold on the eve of the FA WSL Spring Series season. Instead she agreed to rejoin Everton on a free transfer.[14] She transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2017.

Whelan announced her retirement from professional football in October 2020, due to injury.[15]

International career

Whelan has represented England at Under-15, Under-19 (as captain),[16] Under-20 and Under-23[17] levels. Whelan was named UEFA's "golden player" after inspiring England to the final of the 2007 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship.[18] She recovered from a serious knee injury to captain England at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile in November 2008.[19]

National coach Hope Powell gave Whelan a first call-up to the senior England squad in October 2009, replacing Anita Asante who was withdrawn after the initial announcement of the squad.[20] In May 2011 Whelan received another senior call-up when Fara Williams withdrew from the squad for a home friendly with Sweden. She won her first cap as a late substitute for Casey Stoney in England's 2–0 win.[21]

Powell did not select Whelan for the

2012 Cyprus Cup Whelan won another cap as England beat Switzerland 1–0. During the tournament she suffered a recurrence of her cruciate ligament injury and underwent surgery which kept her out for nearly two years, causing her to miss the 2012 Olympic Games and UEFA Women's Euro 2013.[22]

Whelan was allotted 177 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.[23][24]

Post-football career

As well as being a professional footballer, Whelan is a qualified physiotherapist.[25][26] Following her retirement from football, Whelan became an executive for equality, diversity and inclusion in women's football at the Professional Footballers' Association.[27]

References

  1. ^ "List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Fern Whelan". Everton F.C. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  3. ^ "Fern Whelan". Brighton & Hove Albion. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Whelan named young player of year". BBC Sport. 26 May 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Lisa Dawson (25 October 2005). "England Under 19's Fern Whelan". BBC Liverpool. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Brighton's Aileen Whelan: 'I'll concentrate on child psychology after retiring'". The Guardian. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  7. ^ "It didn't cross my mind – Fern". Women's Soccer Scene. 2 June 2008. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Whelan named young player of the year". BBC Sport. 26 May 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  9. BBC
    . Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  10. BT Sport
    . Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Arsenal Ladies 2 Everton Ladies 0 match report: Arsenal Ladies give Shelley Kerr triumphant send-off with Everton win". The Independent. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Notts County Ladies sign defender Fern Whelan". Nottingham Post. 17 January 2015. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  13. ^ "Fern Whelan: Notts County Ladies and England defender agrees new deal". BBC Sport. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  14. ^ "Whelan Happy To Be 'Home'". Everton F.C. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  15. ^ "Fern Whelan announces retirement". Latest News. Professional Footballers' Association. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Skipper salvages point for England". Women's Football News. 19 July 2007. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  17. ^ "Germany level late with Lions". The Football Association. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  18. ^ "2007: Fern Whelan". UEFA. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  19. ^ "England – Fern Whelan". FIFA. Archived from the original on 23 November 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  20. ^ "Women's squad named for Malta Qualifier". The Football Association. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  21. ^ Antonia De Feo (19 May 2011). "Whelan eyes more caps". Everton FC. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  22. ^ Bessley, Chris (17 February 2014). "Physio Whelan charts her recovery; Blues defender has inside knowledge on own injury". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  23. ^ "England squad named for World Cup". The Football Association. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  24. ^ Lacey-Hatton, Jack (18 November 2022). "Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present". mirror. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  25. ^ "Whelan praises Women and Girls Programme". Premier League. 27 March 2014. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  26. ^ "Member Profiles". Rushcliffe Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  27. ^ Sanders, Emma (15 March 2023). "Canada, France and Spain turmoil: Why some players are shunning their national teams". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 March 2023.

External links

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