Drew Spence

Drew Spence (born 23 October 1992) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for FA WSL club Chelsea and won two caps for the England women's national football team.

Drew Spence
Spence in 2014 with Chelsea.
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-10-23) 23 October 1992
Place of birth London, England
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Chelsea
Number 24
Youth career
Arsenal
Fulham
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008– Chelsea 88 (12)
National team‡
2015 England 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:00, 20 November 2018 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14:36, 25 February 2018 (UTC)

Club career

Chelsea and England teammate Gilly Flaherty recalled playing alongside Spence in the Arsenal Centre of Excellence.[1] Spence progressed to Fulham's youth team, before signing for Chelsea in 2008.[2]

Chelsea reached the FA Women's Cup final for the first time in 2012, but were eventually beaten by Birmingham City in a penalty shootout after twice taking the lead in a 2–2 draw. Spence's effort was saved by Becky Spencer.[3]

In 2015 Chelsea won their first ever major trophy, in the 2015 FA Women's Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. They then beat Sunderland 4–0 in October 2015 to secure the FA WSL title and a League and Cup "double".[4] At the end of the season Spence signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea.[5]

During a 5–0 thrashing by Arsenal in October 2018, Spence left Kim Little nursing a broken leg with what Arsenal's website described as a "heavy tackle". The match officials were criticised for failing to send off Spence, who left Little ruled out for around ten weeks.[6]

In 2020 Spence signed a new contract that will see her stay with Chelsea until 2022.

International career

National coach Mark Sampson gave Spence her first senior call up in October 2015, in an understrength squad for the 2015 Yongchuan International Tournament.[7] She won her first England cap on 23 October 2015, as a substitute in England's 2–1 defeat by China in Yongchuan.[8]

In September 2017, Spence's Chelsea team-mate Eni Aluko was pursuing allegations of racial discrimination against The FA through the pages of The Guardian newspaper. Spence was drawn into the controversy when she was revealed as the previously-anonymous "The Player" who was said to have been "upset and offended" by Mark Sampson on the trip to China.[9]

Personal life

Spence's brother Lewwis Spence is himself a non-league footballer.[10]

References
  1. Flaherty, Gilly (2 April 2015). "Chelsea Ladies One by One". Chelsea L.F.C. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  2. Randall, James (12 November 2015). "Drew: Let's keep the Wolf from the door". The Football League Paper. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  3. Nisbet, John (2012-05-27). "Shoot-out has unhappy ending for Chelsea Ladies". The Independent. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  4. Garry, Tom (4 October 2015). "WSL 1: Chelsea Ladies 4–0 Sunderland Ladies". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  5. "Ladies Preview: Spence Seeks Solidity". Chelsea L.F.C. 11 November 2015. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  6. "Kim Little: Lucy Bronze criticises officials as Arsenal's Scotland midfielder fractures leg". BBC Sport. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  7. Lavery, Glenn (21 October 2015). "Laura Coombs determined to grab her England chance in China". The Football Association. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  8. "England women beaten by China despite Eniola Aluko goal". BBC Sport. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  9. Taylor, Daniel (14 September 2017). "FA may launch new Mark Sampson inquiry after Drew Spence intervention". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  10. Luke Lambert (31 May 2016). "Lewwis Spence leaves Thurrock for pastures new". Thurrock Gazette. Thurrock Gazette. Retrieved 27 August 2016.


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