 Sanderson (right) playing for England in 2014 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lianne Joan Sanderson[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1988-02-03)3 February 1988 (age 37)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lewisham, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.72 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2003 | Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–2008 | Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Chelsea | 26 | (20) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Philadelphia Independence | 40 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Espanyol | 23 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012 | D.C. United | 7 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Boston Breakers | 41 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013 | →Apollon Limassol (loan) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Arsenal | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Portland Thorns | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | →Apollon Limassol (loan) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Orlando Pride | 8 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Western New York Flash | 9 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Juventus | 2 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2015 | England | 50 | (15) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:30, 8 July 2019 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12:23, 12 June 2017 (UTC+1) | |||||||||||||||||
Lianne Joan Sanderson (born 3 February 1988) is a current broadcaster and former English professionalfootballer who played as aforward. She won 50caps for theEngland national team.[2]
At the international level, Sanderson made her debut for England in May 2006. She was part of the England squad at the2007 FIFA Women's World Cup andUEFA Women's Euro 2009. In August 2010, Sanderson complained of unfair treatment and declared she would not play for England again under then-coachHope Powell. AfterMark Sampson took over as manager in December 2013, she was recalled to the squad and participated at the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She then made further complaints of unfair treatment and was not selected after 2015.
At the age of six, Sanderson started playing for a boys' team in South London. Her father, Jeff Sanderson, played forCrystal Palace. Sanderson says she begged her father to let her play on a team starting at the age of five years old.[3] At nine years old, Sanderson signed forArsenal.[4]
Sanderson joinedArsenal in 1997 as part of theiryouth programme. Her first full season with the first team came in the 2003–2004 season, and she continued to play in the first team from then on. In the 2006FA Women's Cup final, Sanderson scored the fifth goal of a 5–0 win overLeeds United,[5] and was voted Player of the Match.[6]
Sanderson finished the 2006–07 season as Arsenal's top–scorer, with 40 goals scored in 41 appearances across four competitions, all of which were won by Arsenal. In the 2007–08 season, she amassed 51 goals in 36 appearances, including the third in Arsenal's 4–1FA Women's Cup final triumph overLeeds United.[7]
On 3 July 2008, Sanderson and Arsenal teammateAnita Asante joinedChelsea Ladies.[8] Upon signing, Sanderson said: "I always said I would never play for anyone else other than Chelsea. I have been at Arsenal for 11 years and it is a big change for me to have to leave the team, but both Anita and I wanted a new challenge. Sometimes you have to try new things and challenge yourself personally and I know that is what I am looking forward to doing here. So now I am just looking forward to what's ahead. Hopefully Anita and I will come in and help Chelsea win things."[9] Arsenal managerVic Akers publicly criticised the players for the manner of their departure: "You think you've the respect of players, and then they do that. It's a sorry state of affairs."[10]
Sanderson was drafted in theWPS international draft, and joinedPhiladelphia Independence.[11] She indicated that a delay in the creation of theFA WSL was behind her move to theUnited States.[12] In two seasons in the WPS she scored eight goals.[13]
Following the end of the2011 WPS season, Sanderson signed forEspanyol, in theSpanish league.[14]
In May 2012, she joinedW-League sideD.C. United Women along with Philadelphia Independence and Espanyol teammate,Joanna Lohman.[15][16]
In 2013, Lianne Sanderson signed withBoston Breakers to play in the newNational Women's Soccer League.[17] Sanderson and Lohman went onloan to Cypriot clubApollon Limassol after the American season had finished to play in theUEFA Women's Champions League.[18]
In November 2014, Sanderson re-signed with her original club, Arsenal Ladies.[19] Her second spell with the club ended on 10 July 2015 after eight months.[20]
In August 2015, it was announced that Sanderson would joinPortland Thorns FC.[21] She made her debut as a second-half substitute for compatriotJodie Taylor in a 2–1 victory against theChicago Red Stars on 9 August 2015.[22] After starting two of five appearances for Portland that season, Sanderson headed out on another off-season loan to Apollon Limassol of Cyprus.[23]
The expansionOrlando Pride selected Sanderson with the 7th pick of the2015 NWSL Expansion Draft, joiningAlex Morgan andKaylyn Kyle as fellow Orlando acquisitions from Portland.[24] Sanderson was the first player to score a goal at home for the franchise, on a free kick in the 56th minute of the Pride's home opener on 23 April 2016.[25] By the time she was traded away from the Pride before week 10 of the season in June 2016, Sanderson had two goals and an assist, tying Morgan on both counts despite playing half as many minutes and attempting 22 fewer shots.[26][27]
In June 2016, Sanderson was traded from theOrlando Pride to theWestern New York Flash in exchange for an international spot through 2018.[28] The Flash won the NWSL Championship in 2016. However, Sanderson's season ended when she tore theACL andmeniscus in her right knee on 17 September, while playing for the Flash in a friendly against Thailand.[29]
Since the team was relocated to North Carolina, she has not participated in any team practices or training camps, possibly taking the time to continue to rehab her injury. She was not listed on any of the pre-season roster cuts for theNorth Carolina Courage 2017 season and social media accounts reflect that she is residing in Limassol, Cyprus and may be involved in coaching and training activities with her previous club, Apollon Limassol.
In July 2018, Sanderson joinedJuventus.[30] After one season, in which she made two league appearances as Juventus won theSerie A title and theCoppa Italia, she left the club.[31][32]
Sanderson subsequently retired from professional football and pursued a career in media, becoming an analyst and commentator for many platforms.
Sanderson has played for England at the Under-15, 17, 19 and 21 levels. On 3 May 2006, she was called up for theEngland first team.[6] She hit the crossbar with a shot from 25 yards, shortly after coming off the bench for her debut againstHungary on 11 May 2006.[33] She was drafted into the squad for theWorld Cup qualifying play-off againstFrance in September 2006 as a replacement for the injuredJo Potter.[34]
She scored her first senior goal in England's 4–0 Euro 2009 qualifier win againstNorthern Ireland on 13 May 2007.[35][36][37] It was her fifthcap.[36]
On 16 August 2010, Sanderson announced that she no longer wanted to be considered forEngland duty while managerHope Powell was in charge, due to perceived unfair treatment by both the England hierarchy and Powell.[38]
Sanderson was not included in the England squad for the2011 FIFA Women's World Cup or theGreat Britain squad for the2012 London Olympics, which was also selected by Powell. Sanderson continued to publicly criticise Powell's administration: "I felt the [England set-up] wanted people like robots who would literally do everything they asked you to do."[39]
After England's unexpectedly poor performance atUEFA Women's Euro 2013, Powell was sacked byThe Football Association (FA). A report inThe Guardian newspaper suggested that "the wheels first began to come off" when Sanderson left the team. WhenKatie Chapman withdrew from selection in 2011 after a dispute with disciplinarian Powell, England had lost two talented players, both to off-field issues.[40]
Sanderson rejoined the England squad underMark Sampson, scoring the winning goal as England won the2015 Cyprus Cup[41] and winning the penalty that achieved England third place at the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[42] Shortly afterwards, she began complaining again about being expected to "conform" by the FA and about not getting enough acclaim for her 50th cap.[43]
In November 2022, Sanderson was recognized byThe Football Association as one of the England national team's legacy players, and as the 162nd women's player to be capped by England.[44][45]
Arsenal
Juventus[47]
England
Sanderson is openly gay.[52] In 2014, she was engaged to then-teammateJoanna Lohman,[53] but the two later broke up.[54] Sanderson embarked on a relationship with another teammate,Ashley Nick, when they were housed in shared accommodation provided by Apollon Limassol. "We just fell in love organically, with no drama involved," Sanderson claimed.[55] She is a lifelong supporter ofManchester United.[56]
Since her retirement, Sanderson has become a pundit, and can often be heard on talkSPORT. She was a color commentator forFox Sports in the United States during theWomen's Euro 2025 tournament.
England squads | |||||||||||||
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