Eight caps, one goal and a first appearance in a major tournament.

Steph Houghton
Club Arsenal
DOB 23.04.88
Debut and Year Russia 2007
Overall Record Caps 20 Goals 2
Record in 2011 Caps 8 Goals 1

2011 was the year Steph Houghton finally broke her tournament duck.

Injury prevented her from taking part in both the World Cup in 2007 and the European Championship in 2009, but she was included in Hope Powell’s 21 player squad that flew to Germany for this summer’s World Cup and the 23-year-old came off the bench in the quarter-final.

Houghton generally operates at full-back for Arsenal but regularly turns out in central midfield for England and it was from this position that she scored her second international goal, in September’s Euro qualifier against Slovenia at the County Ground. In the 56th minute, Rachel Yankey brilliantly skipped past right-back Lucija Grad and delivered a delicious centre which Houghton gleefully headed home to make it 3-0.

Houghton earned eight caps this year, starting with three appearances in the Cyprus Cup in March. She was a half-time substitute against Sweden in May before her World Cup call-up came, and she ended four years of hurt by making her bow in a major tournament against France, although the game would end in a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat.

Her final two appearances of the year came against Holland and Serbia.