Jessica Sigsworth

Jessica Lucy Sigsworth (born 13 October 1994) is an English footballer who plays as a striker for FA WSL club Manchester United. She previously played for Notts County and Doncaster Rovers Belles, and has represented England at numerous youth levels.

Jess Sigsworth
Sigsworth playing for Manchester United, February 2019
Personal information
Full name Jessica Lucy Sigsworth[1]
Date of birth (1994-10-13) 13 October 1994
Place of birth Doncaster, England[2]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.72 m)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Manchester United
Number 9
Youth career
Branton Boys
Doncaster Rovers Belles
2008–2011 Sheffield United Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2015 Doncaster Rovers Belles 44 (7)
2015 Notts County 0 (0)
2016–2018 Doncaster Rovers Belles 25 (17)
2018– Manchester United 39 (20)
National team‡
2011 England U17 3 (1)
2011–2013 England U19 18 (3)
2014 England U20 3 (0)
England U23 5
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 February 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 4 June 2016

Sigsworth won the Golden Boot award for most goals scored during the 2017–18 FA WSL 2 season and the 2018–19 FA Women's Championship.

Early life

Sigsworth, aged seven, started her youth career playing for Branton Boys.[3] Her twin brother played for Branton and the coach asked her if she wanted to play.[3] After playing for Doncaster Rovers Belles Juniors, she moved to Sheffield United Girls’ Centre of Excellence, where she broke into the England under-17 squad. After three seasons, she returned to Doncaster Belles.[4]

As a youth, Sigsworth was a fan of Manchester United and dreamed of playing for the club.[5]

Club career

Doncaster Rovers Belles, 2011–15
Sigsworth playing for Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2011.

Sigsworth began her senior career by signing with Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2011.[4] She made her senior debut on 23 July 2011 in a 3–0 defeat against Birmingham City.[6] In four years, she scored seven goals in 41 appearances.

Notts County, 2015

In January 2015, Sigsworth moved to FA WSL outfit Notts County.[7] Though she was named in a matchday squad twice, she never made an appearance.[8]

Return to Doncaster Rovers Belles, 2016–18

In November 2015, Sigsworth re-signed with hometown team Doncaster Rovers Belles ahead of the 2016 season.[9] On 20 March 2016, she scored her first goal, in her first appearance since returning to the club in a 4–1 defeat against Chelsea in the FA Women's Cup.[10] In May 2016, she signed a full-time contract.[2] In August, she suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury, missing the rest of the season, as the team were relegated to FA WSL 2, as well as the subsequent Spring Series.[11][12] In the 2017–18 season, Sigsworth won the FA WSL 2 Player of the Month award for March.[13] Sigsworth guided Doncaster to the FA WSL 2 title and won the golden boot with 15 goals.[14][15]

Manchester United, 2018–
Sigsworth playing for Manchester United against Brighton & Hove Albion in 2019.

In July 2018, Sigsworth was announced as part of the inaugural Manchester United squad that was set to compete in the newly restructured FA Women's Championship.[16] She made her competitive debut for Manchester United in a 1–0 League Cup victory against Liverpool on 19 August.[17] On the opening day of the 2018–19 Championship season, Sigsworth scored five goals in a 12–0 win away to Aston Villa.[18] On 9 March 2019, during a 2–0 FA WSL Cup win against West Ham, Sigsworth was involved in an incident with Brooke Hendrix; three days later, Hendrix was charged with violent conduct by the FA and banned for three games.[19] Sigsworth finished the season with consecutive Championship titles and golden boot awards, having scored 17 league goals.[20][21]

Sigsworth scored her first goal of the 2019–20 season in United's 2–0 League Cup win against Manchester City on 20 October 2019.[22] During a match against Reading on 27 October, her "cool, calm and collected" goal in the 85th minute secured the team's 2–0 win.[23][8] She finished the regular season with two goals in 14 matches.[8] Manchester United finished in fourth place with a 7–5–2 record.[24]

Ahead of the 2020–21 season, Sigsworth signed a new one-year contract with an option for a further year.[25] Of the signing, she said, "I love this club; as a kid growing up supporting United it was always a dream to be a part of its history."[26]

International career

Sigsworth has represented England at under-17, under-19, under-20 and under-23 levels.[27]

In April 2011, Sigsworth scored for the under-17s in a 1–0 win against Sweden in the UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship second qualifying round.[28] In August 2013, Sigsworth was part of the England under-19 team who finished as runners-up to France at the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Wales.[29] In July 2014, Sigsworth was named as part of the England under-20 squad for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[30] Sigsworth started all three games as England failed to progress, having finished third in Group C.[31]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 7 February 2021.[32][33]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Doncaster Belles 2011 WSL 1 60—1070
2012 1412030191
2013 101—31132
2014 WSL 2 1452152218
Total 447411236011
Notts County 2015 WSL 1 00000000
Doncaster Belles 2016 WSL 1 71111092
2017 WSL 2 00—0000
2017–18 1816—322118
Total 251711423020
Manchester United 2018–19 Championship 191730612818
2019–20 WSL 1421052204
2020-21 61002081
Total 3920401335623
Career total 108449229814654
  1. Includes the Women's FA Cup
  2. Includes the WSL Cup/Women's League Cup

Honours

Doncaster Rovers Belles

Manchester United

Individual

See also

References
  1. "List of Players - England" (PDF). FIFA. 4 August 2014. p. 5. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  2. "Doncaster Belles: Sigsworth gunning for Arsenal after signing full-time deal". South Yorkshire Times. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016. The Doncaster-born forward has signed a new deal with the Belles after completing her studies at Sheffield Hallam University.
  3. "Manchester United forward Jess Sigsworth 'always on the up'". The Mind Map.
  4. "A parent's role – Dad aids daughters rise up football ladder – Sheffield & Hallamshire CFA". Sheffield & Hallamshire CFA. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  5. "JESS SIGSWORTH SIGNS NEW CONTRACT". Manchester United. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  6. "FA WSL: Birmingham Ladies 3 Doncaster Rovers Belles 0". sportsister.com. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  7. "Doncaster Belles: Jess Sigsworth signs for Notts County Ladies". Doncaster Free Press. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  8. "Jessica Sigsworth". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  9. "Jess Sigsworth: Doncaster Rovers Belles re-sign Notts County striker". BBC. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  10. "Women's FA Cup: Holders Chelsea beat Doncaster to reach quarter-final". BBC Sport. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  11. "Doncaster Rovers Belles: Step to Women's Super League 1 'bigger than expected'". BBC Sport. 24 October 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  12. "Doncaster Belles: Jess Sigsworth determined to repay Belles' faith". Doncaster Free Press. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  13. "White and Sigsworth named players of the month". fawsl.com. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  14. "Brilliant Belles celebrate title win with three points". FAWSL.com. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  15. "CELEBRATION TIME AT 20TH ANNUAL FA WOMEN'S FOOTBALL AWARDS". thefa.com. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  16. "Manchester United include England stars in unveiled women's squad". 13 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  17. Drudge, Harriet (19 August 2018). "MATCH REPORT: LIVERPOOL WOMEN 0 UNITED WOMEN 1". ManUtd.com. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  18. "MATCH REPORT: ASTON VILLA 0 UNITED WOMEN 12". www.manutd.com. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  19. "Brooke Hendrix: West Ham Women defender banned after stamp". BBC Sport. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  20. "Man Utd Women 7-0 Crystal Palace Ladies: Women's Championship title sealed by win". BBC Sport. 20 April 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  21. Bonsu, Benny (18 May 2019). "The winners from the 21st annual FA Women's Football Awards". givemesport.com. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  22. "Women's Continental League Cup: Manchester United 2–0 Manchester City". BBC Sport. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  23. "'Cool, calm, collected!' Sigsworth seals win for Man Utd over Reading". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  24. "Women's Super League: 2019-20". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  25. "Sigsworth signs new Man Utd Women's contract". www.manutd.com. 24 June 2020.
  26. "Jess Sigsworth: Manchester United Women forward signs new one-year deal". BBC Sport. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  27. "Jessica Sigsworth". Doncaster Rovers Belles. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  28. "Women's Under-17 2011 - England-Sweden". uefa.com. UEFA. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  29. "Women's Under-19 - England-France". UEFA. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  30. Lavery, Glenn (1 July 2014). "Mo Marley names England squad for Women's U20 World Cup". thefa.com. The Football Association. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  31. "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Canada 2014 – Group C". FIFA. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  32. "Jessica Sigsworth player profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  33. "Appearances, goals and cards for Sigsworth". Football-Lineups. Retrieved 18 May 2019.

Further reading
  • Aluko, Eniola (2019), They Don't Teach This, Random House, ISBN 9781473564480
  • Caudwell, Jayne (2013), Women's Football in the UK: Continuing with Gender Analyses, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9781317966234
  • Grainey, Timothy (2012), Beyond Bend It Like Beckham: The Global Phenomenon of Women's Soccer, University of Nebraska Press, ISBN 0803240368
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