Rebecca Spencer
Encyclopedia
Rebecca Leigh Spencer is an English female football goalkeeper. She currently plays her club football for Arsenal Ladies
and has represented England
at Under-19 and Under-20 level. She was born in Northwick Park
.
before joining Centre of Excellence at Arsenal Ladies
in 2001. She progressed through the centre of excellence age groups and joined the senior team in 2006, where she has primarily been the understudy to first choice keeper Emma Byrne
. She made her FA Women's Premier League debut and in April 2008 was in goal as Arsenal beat Millwall Lionesses
3–1 in the London Cup Final, having been in the Arsenal side beaten by Charlton Athletic Ladies
in the 2006 final.
Spencer was an unused substitute in the 2008 FA Women's Cup
Final as Arsenal beat Leeds Carnegie and in the 2009 final as Arsenal beat Sunderland. She has also won an FA Women's Premier League Cup winners medal having been an unused substitute for Arsenal's win against Leeds in March 2007.
, keeping clean sheets throughout the tournament, and was named as one of ten 'emerging talents' from the tournament on the UEFA website.
and in January 2009 was a fitness student in St Albans
.
Arsenal L.F.C.
Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...
and has represented England
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
at Under-19 and Under-20 level. She was born in Northwick Park
Northwick Park
Northwick Park is an area in northwest London, which forms part in the London Borough of Brent and London Borough of Harrow.The area is most notable for Northwick Park Hospital, a major NHS hospital. This hospital featured as the outdoor location for the hospital in which Sybil Fawlty was admitted...
.
Club career
Spencer began her career as a junior with Watford LadiesWatford L.F.C.
Watford Ladies Football Club are an English women's football club affiliated with Watford F.C. They play in the FA Women's Premier League National Division. After losing their captain and top scorer Helen Lander to Arsenal LFC in mid-season, Watford finished a creditable 7th in the 2008-09...
before joining Centre of Excellence at Arsenal Ladies
Arsenal L.F.C.
Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...
in 2001. She progressed through the centre of excellence age groups and joined the senior team in 2006, where she has primarily been the understudy to first choice keeper Emma Byrne
Emma Byrne
Emma Anne Byrne is an Irish association footballer from Leixlip in County Kildare. She currently plays as a goalkeeper for the English team Arsenal, and also for the Republic of Ireland women's team.-Club career:...
. She made her FA Women's Premier League debut and in April 2008 was in goal as Arsenal beat Millwall Lionesses
Millwall Lionesses L.F.C.
Millwall Lionesses Ladies Football Club were founded in March 1972 by Patricia Maslin and Rita Bullions. In a time when women's football was almost unheard of the group of women who made up the Lionesses were at first snubbed by Millwall FC but went on to became the first women's football team to...
3–1 in the London Cup Final, having been in the Arsenal side beaten by Charlton Athletic Ladies
Charlton Athletic L.F.C.
Charlton Athletic Women's Football Club play in the FA Women's Premier League National Division in England. Between 2000, the year it was founded from Croydon Women's F.C. and 2007, Charlton had one of the most successful women's teams in England...
in the 2006 final.
Spencer was an unused substitute in the 2008 FA Women's Cup
FA Women's Cup
The Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England – designed as an exact equivalent to the FA Cup created 99 years earlier...
Final as Arsenal beat Leeds Carnegie and in the 2009 final as Arsenal beat Sunderland. She has also won an FA Women's Premier League Cup winners medal having been an unused substitute for Arsenal's win against Leeds in March 2007.
International career
Spencer has represented England at Under-15, Under-19 and Under-20 level. She was the first choice for the Under-20s World Cup side in 2008. In 2009 she was a key player as England's Under-19s side won the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship in BelarusBelarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, keeping clean sheets throughout the tournament, and was named as one of ten 'emerging talents' from the tournament on the UEFA website.
Personal life
Spencer attended Rooks Heath CollegeRooks Heath College
Rooks Heath College is a state Secondary School with a Sixth Form, in South Harrow in the London Borough of Harrow. The school has specialist status as an Business and Enterprise College. The school currently has around 300 pupils in each year group consisting of years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11...
and in January 2009 was a fitness student in St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
.