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Rachel Yankey is the sixth-most capped England player of all-time
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Estimations of Yankey’s net worth fall between $1 million and $5 million
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Read below for more on the former Arsenal and Lionesses star
From shaving her head to play on a boys’ team as a child to breaking records for England and Arsenal, Rachel Yankey is an iconic figure in the women’s game.
Yankey played through eras, seeing the development and professionalisation of the sport. All-conquering Arsenal teams were always favoured in online betting, and Yankey’s presence was a key reason.
For England, she became the most famous female footballer in the country in the first decade of this century, and appeared in BBC’s Academy Masterclasses series.
The face of the women’s game in England, Yankey was more than a star player when searching for football odds today. She was an influential figure on and off the pitch.
Who is Rachel Yankey?
Rachel Yankey is a former footballer who represented England on a then-record 129 occasions.
Yankey spent the majority of her playing career in the English league system, though she also had two relatively short stints on the other side of the Atlantic with Laval Dynamites and New Jersey Wildcats.
As a child, Yankey had to sneak into a boys’ team by shaving her head. An inductee of the London Youth Games Hall of Fame, she was a standout talent even from a young age and ascended to senior football at just 16.
It wasn’t long before she became the first professional female footballer in the country. Even before Yankey was 20, she was asserting her presence in the senior game.
The quick feet and rare talent made Yankey a dangerous threat from the flank. It didn’t take long for England to take notice, as she made her senior debut in 1997.
Former Clubs
Rachel Yankey started her club career with Arsenal Ladies. Under the unparalleled Vik Akers, Yankey was an integral player, winning trophies and attracting plaudits from around the sport.
While her goal scoring record shows she wasn’t a great first scorer bet in any football prediction, Yankey was a persistent nuisance for opposing defences.
Canadian team Laval Dynamites enjoyed Yankey’s presence in 2000. It was only a short loan, however, and the London-born forward returned to England for a few successful seasons in west London with Fulham before a one-year stint with Birmingham.
Along with England teammate Rachel Unitt, Yankey then spent a few months with the New Jersey Wildcats.
The pair helped the team from Middlesex County win the W-League, but after seasons of travelling and moving between clubs, Yankey once again settled with Arsenal and Akers.
She saw out the rest of her club career with the Gunners, aside from a brief loan to Notts County in 2016.
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Arsenal Ladies - 1996-2000
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Laval Dynamites - 2000
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Fulham Ladies - 2000-2004
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Birmingham Ladies - 2004-2005
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New Jersey Wildcats - 2005
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Arsenal Ladies - 2005-2016
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Notts County Ladies (loan) - 2016
Net Worth
Money has poured into women’s football since Rachel Yankey’s retirement.
While data is limited on whether Yankey was one of the highest paid female footballers, it’s certain that her salary was far off the figures we often associate with football.
Estimations of Yankey’s net worth are all over the place. Some fall around $1 million while others provide a range going as high as $5 million. In truth, there’s not much information to go on with this.
The same goes for Alex Scott net worth and many other female footballers. Net worth estimates are never more than just that, but the data is particularly vague when it comes to women in football both past and present.
Steph Houghton, Fran Kirby and other current England stars also are given little more than a wide range like the $1 million to $5 million that many sites run with for Yankey.
England Career
Debuting against Scotland in 1997, Yankey was a stalwart of the England Women’s team for well over a decade. In 2009, she was part of a group of 17 players who became the first to earn central contracts from the Football Association.
A blip followed in her England career just a few months later, as Hope Powell made the controversial decision to leave the Arsenal star out of the World Cup squad.
When Yankey’s form bounced back at club level, though, she regained a place in the England squad and became a regular starter under Powell.
In July 2010, Yankey was just the second English woman to reach 100 caps. A couple of years later, she overtook the record for most caps set by Gillian Coultard and in 2013, Yankey surpassed Peter Shilton’s total to become the most capped English player.
Mark Sampson omitted Yankey from his first squad in 2013, effectively ending her international career.
London Bees Management
Yankey joined the London Bees as first team coach in 2018. When Luke Swindlehurst departed a few months later, Yankey was promoted to the role of head coach, though she only stayed in the job until May 2019.
In a statement on Twitter, the former Lioness explained her decision to turn down the club’s offer, "After much consideration, I decided not to accept the offer from London Bees to manage the first team next season.
"I stepped in to help the club when they needed me and I cannot thank the players and coaching staff enough for their support and willingness to learn.
"We changed many things for the better and I am proud of all the players for being brave enough to expand their comfort zones. I wish all of you the best of luck for the future."
Career Honours
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Arsenal – National Premier League (1996-97, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10), FA Cup (1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014), Premier League Cup (1998, 1999, 2007, 2008), UEFA Cup (2007), WSL (2011, 2012)
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Fulham – National Premier League (2002-03), FA Cup (2002, 2003), Premier League Cup (2002, 2003)
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New Jersey Wildcats – W-League (2005)
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Awarded an OBE in the 2014 New Years’ Honours
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 10th December 2021
