Suzanne Grant

Suzanne Winters (née Grant) (born 17 April 1984)[3] is a former Scottish footballer, who played as striker. She made 104 appearances for the Scotland national team between 2000 and 2013, making her international debut aged 16 despite not playing for a senior women's team. Her twin sister, Shelley Grant, has also played for Scotland.

Suzanne Winters
Suzanne Grant in May 2009
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-04-17) 17 April 1984
Place of birth Inverness, Scotland
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2006 Glasgow City
2006–2009 Hibernian Ladies
2009 Arsenal Ladies[1] 8 (3)
2009–2015 Celtic Ladies
2010 → Keynsham Town (loan)
2011–2012 → Keynsham Town (loan)
2015–2017 Motherwell Ladies
National team
2000–2013 Scotland[2] 105 (13)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Grant played in the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) for Glasgow City, Hibernian, Celtic and Motherwell and in the FA Women's Premier League (FA WPL) for Arsenal and Keynsham Town. She won domestic trebles with both Hibernian and Arsenal, and scored eleven goals on her debut for Motherwell. She retired from playing in 2017.

Club career

Early career

During her youth career, Grant played for Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.[4][5][6] She also enjoyed a spell with Glasgow City,[7] which included a Scottish Women's Cup Final hat-trick in 2006, as Glasgow City disposed of Aberdeen 5–1.[5][8] Shortly afterwards, she joined Hibernian Ladies in 2006, and in 2007 won the domestic treble of the SWPL title, the Scottish Women's Cup (and again in 2008) and the SWPL Cup with the club.[5]

Arsenal (2009)

Grant left Hibernian Ladies to join Arsenal Ladies on 20 February 2009.[5][9] Highlights of her time with Arsenal included; scoring on her debut six days after signing, as a substitute in the FA Women's Premier League Cup Final victory.[5][9] She also played in the FA Women's Cup winning side and in May 2009 she scored the only goal of the game against Everton Ladies that clinched the Premier League title for Arsenal.[5][9] Grant described it as "the best week of my life.".[10]

On as a 77th-minute substitute in the 2009 FA Women's Premier League Cup Final, Grant scored on what was her debut, in a 5–0 win over Doncaster Rovers Belles on 26 February 2009.[11] She scored with a penalty, on her Premier League debut, in a 5–0 win at Fulham on 19 March 2009.[12] Grant made her first start one week later, in a 1–0 league win at Watford.[13] Her next goal, came from the penalty spot again, in a 3–0 home league win against Bristol Academy on 5 April 2009.[14] She played the first 62 minutes in the 2009 FA Women's Cup Final, in a 2–1 defeat of Sunderland on 4 May 2009.[15] Grant also played in the semi-final win against Everton.[16] In her last match for Arsenal, Grant scored the decisive goal in the final league match of the season, in a 1–0 win at Everton to secure the Premier League title and the domestic treble for Arsenal.[17] Grant had made four other league appearances during the season.[18][19][20][21] She also won the London FA Women's County Cup with Arsenal, netting twice in both the semi-final and the Final.[22][23] Grant finished her time at Arsenal, with four goals from 11 appearances in all competitions, but not including County Cup matches.

Return to Scotland and loans (2009–2017)

Having had to commute to London from Glasgow for each of Arsenal's games, Grant joined Celtic Ladies in the 2009 close season and scored over 100 goals for Celtic wearing the number 99 shirt.[24][25] She won the 2010 SWPL Cup with Celtic, as they beat Spartans 4–0 in the Final at Ainslie Park.[26] As well as assisting the fourth goal in the Final,[26] Grant scored a hat-trick in the semi-finals.[27]

Grant signed for Keynsham Town Ladies for extra games when the Scottish season ended.[25] In December 2010 she put her own football career on hold to join fiancé David Winters in Vietnam, where Winters was playing for a second division Vietnamese club. She then travelled to the 2011 Cyprus Cup with Scotland and was back with Celtic for the new Scottish season, being named as an unused substitute (due to injury) for The Hoops' 8–0 humbling by rivals Glasgow City on 13 March 2011.[28]

At the end of the Scottish season Grant returned to Keynsham Town, scoring in an FA Women's Premier League Cup defeat to Reading[29] and twice in an FA Women's Cup victory over Gillingham.[30] Grant was back at Celtic in time for the start of the new Scottish season.

On 10 July 2015, Grant signed for ambitious SWFL Second Division side Motherwell, saying: "I am very happy to be at Motherwell FC, who are extremely ambitious, and I am looking forward to be back playing and hopefully help the club achieve its aim of progressing to the top league and winning trophies."[31] She scored 11 goals on her début in a 21–0 win against Edinburgh South on 2 August 2015, also providing numerous assists. Her performance prompted Sky News to wonder if she had made the "best début in history".[32]

She retired from professional football in November 2017, as a result of a knee injury sustained playing for Motherwell against Hearts the previous month.[33]

International career

Grant made her senior Scotland debut as a 16-year-old, scoring twice against Northern Ireland.[34] She had been called up for the national side despite not playing for an organised women's team at the time, just her school and a local boys' club.[35] Grant won her 50th cap for the senior side in April 2008, playing in the game against Belgium.[3]

Although primarily a forward, Grant played much of her football for Scotland in midfield.[36] Her 75th international appearance came against Bulgaria in April 2010.[37]

In December 2011 Grant was among four Celtic women's team players to be approached about playing for Team GB at the 2012 Olympics.[38]

Grant earned her 100th cap against the United States in February 2013.[39] In June 2013 it was announced that Grant was pregnant with her first child and would not play again for the remainder of the year.[40]

International goals

Grant's goal against Portugal in 2004[41] is not included in her official SFA profile.[2]

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentResultCompetitionScored
229 November 2000David Keswick Centre,[42] Dumfries Northern Ireland?–?Friendly2[34]
323 May 2004Almondvale Stadium, Livingston Portugal2–12005 UEFA Women's Championship Qual.1[41]
45 March 2008Paralimni Stadium, Cyprus United States1–2Cyprus Cup1
528 September 2008McDiarmid Park, Perth Slovakia6–02009 UEFA Women's Championship Qual.1
612 March 2009GSP Stadium, Nicosia Russia2–12009 Cyprus Cup1
715 October 2009The Oval, Belfast Northern Ireland3–0Friendly1
926 October 2009Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh Georgia3–12011 FIFA Women's World Cup qual.2
1024 February 2010GSP Stadium, Nicosia Netherlands1–42010 Cyprus Cup1
111 April 2010Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk Bulgaria8–12011 FIFA Women's World Cup qual.1
1221 August 2010Strathclyde Homes Stadium, Dumbarton Greece4–12011 FIFA Women's World Cup qual.1
1313 February 2013LP Field, Nashville United States1–3Friendly1

Honours

Personal life

Grant grew up in Grantown-on-Spey, in the Scottish Highlands. She has a twin sister, Shelley, who also previously played for Glasgow City and Scotland. Both twins were awarded the Freedom of Grantown in 2016.[43] Shelley is married to Scotland international footballer Don Cowie.[44]

Grant has been in a relationship with professional footballer David Winters since 2003 and lives with him in East Kilbride.[44] They had their first child, a son called Oscar, in November 2013 and second son Theo in June 2018. Grant trained throughout her pregnancy and returned to playing within five weeks of giving birth.[45] Grant and Winters married in 2017, shortly before her retirement from playing; she now uses her married name.[33]

See also

References
  1. "Statistics 2008-2009". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  2. "Suzanne Grant - Women's A Squad". The Scottish FA. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  3. "Suzanne eyes century with Scots Ladies". The Scotsman. 9 April 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  4. "Suzanne Grant". Youth Football Scotland. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  5. "Ladies sign striking legend Suzanne Grant". Motherwell FC. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  6. "Nicky has Scot her wish with a recall". Daily Record. 21 July 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2019 – via The Free Library.
  7. "Brown returns to fold". The FA. 12 April 2005. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
  8. Campbell, Alan (21 May 2006). "No great drama in a one-sided battle Amicus Scottish Cup Final". The Herald (Glasgow). Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  9. "Three is the magic number for Grant". Arsenal F.C. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  10. "Gunner Grant in a league of her own". Strathspey Thistle. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  11. "Arsenal 5–0 Doncaster RB". Arsenal FC. 26 February 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  12. "Fulham 0–5 Arsenal". Arsenal FC. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  13. "Watford 0–1 Arsenal". Arsenal FC. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  14. "Arsenal 3–0 Bristol Academy". Arsenal FC. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  15. "Sunderland 1–2 Arsenal". Arsenal FC. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  16. "Everton 1–3 Arsenal". Arsenal FC. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  17. "Everton 0–1 Arsenal". Arsenal FC. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  18. "Arsenal 0–3 Everton". Arsenal FC. 29 March 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  19. "Birmingham City 1–3 Arsenal". Arsenal FC. 2 April 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  20. "Doncaster RB 0–0 Arsenal". Arsenal FC. 12 April 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  21. "Chelsea 0–2 Arsenal". Arsenal FC. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  22. "Arsenal 7–0 Crystal Palace". Arsenal FC. 16 March 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  23. "Arsenal 3–2 Millwall Lionesses". Arsenal FC. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  24. "Women's A Squad Announced". The Scottish FA. 3 August 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  25. "Keynsham land Scottish international striker". Women's Soccer Scene. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  26. "Celtic break trophy duck in style". WSS. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  27. "Spartans WFC 2010 Archives". Spartans FC. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  28. "Glasgow City vs. Celtic 8 - 0". Women Soccerway. 13 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  29. Tony Leighton (29 January 2012). "Women's football: Barnet begin Cup defence with win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  30. "Keynsham Ladies 4-1 Gills Ladies". Gillingham Ladies FC. 13 February 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  31. "Ladies sign striking legend Grant". Motherwell fc. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  32. "Is Suzanne Grant's debut for Motherwell Ladies the best ever?". Sky Sports. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  33. "Suzanne Winters says career-ending knee injury was 'devastating'". BBC Sport. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  34. "Q&A: Suzanne Grant". Scotland on Sunday. 27 April 2008. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  35. "Suzanne Grant celebrates 75th cap". The Scottish Football Association. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  36. Billy Briggs (23 August 2010). "Scottish Women's World Cup football". The Herald. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  37. "Suzanne Grant hits 75 caps for Scotland". The Daily Record. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  38. "Olympic approach for four Scottish women". BBC Sport. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  39. "Milestone for Grant in USA defeat". The Scottish Football Association. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  40. "Scotland women set for Germany test". British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 June 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  41. "Triumph boosts Scottish hopes". UEFA. 23 May 2004. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  42. "Women to face Northern Ireland". Scottish FA. 28 November 2000. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  43. "Freedom of town for twin footballers". BBC News. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  44. "Lure of Arsenal favours Grant in football couple's tug of love". The Scotsman. Johnston Publishing. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  45. Gray, Lisa (20 March 2014). "Celtic striker Suzanne Grant on staying fit during pregnancy and how she returned to pitch just weeks after son was born". Daily Record. Glasgow. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
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