The Profile
Ellen's story, told with respect to the facts.
Ellen White scored more goals for England than any player, male or female, in the country's international football history at the point she retired. Fifty two international goals across fifteen years at the top level. She was not the most famous Lioness during most of that career. She became the most celebrated after Euro 2022, when her performances helped England win their first major senior football trophy since 1966.
Her club career took in Arsenal, Birmingham City, Notts County, Manchester City, and Birmingham again. She won league titles, FA Cups, and the WSL top scorer award multiple times. But it was the goals for England, at the World Cup in 2019 and then the Euros in 2022, that cemented the national profile.
She retired from playing immediately after the Euro 2022 triumph, which was an unusual decision and a graceful one. Rather than ride the commercial wave of the tournament win for another two years as a player, she stepped back and moved into broadcasting and ambassadorial work. Her rising stock in the years since Euro 2022 has been extraordinary. She is now one of the most recognised voices in English football, which given her reserved personality is a testament to how deeply the country took that summer to heart.
“Euro 2022 did not feel like it was happening to me. It felt like it was happening to every woman who had ever been told football was not for her. That is still the part I can't quite get over.”
Career highlights
- European Championship winner with England, 2022
- 52 England goals, at retirement the country's all-time top scorer
- 113 England caps
- World Cup 2019 bronze medallist with England
- OBE for services to football
- BBC Women's Footballer of the Year, 2022
First hand
Ellen White at Steam
Ellen spoke at Steam in September 2025. She was the first woman's footballer to headline a Steam speaker lunch and the room, much of it insurance industry regulars, were immediately on her side.