{{Short description|Irish footballer (born 1972)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Claire Scanlan | image = | full_name = Claire Josephine Scanlan<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.futbolfemeni.com/iwc/partido2.html |title=RCD Espanyol 6-1 Bristol Academy WFC |publisher=International Women's Cup |accessdate=17 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312231321/http://www.futbolfemeni.com/iwc/partido2.html |archivedate=12 March 2012 }}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1972|02|21}} | birth_place = Rush, County Dublin, Ireland | height = 1.57 m | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | collegeyears1 = 1992–1995 | college1 = Mercyhurst College | years1 = | clubs1 = Rush Athletic | years2 = | clubs2 = Swords Celtic | years3 = | clubs3 = Rush Athletic | years5 = 1996–1997 | clubs5 = OKI F.C. Winds | years6 = 1997–1998 | clubs6 = Shelbourne | years7 = 2000 | clubs7 = Springfield Sirens | years8 = 2001–2004 | clubs8 = Leeds United | years9 = 2001–2002 | clubs9 = Memphis Mercury | years10 = 2003 | clubs10 = Boston Renegades | years11 = 2004–2008 | clubs11 = Bristol Academy | nationalyears1 = 1989–2009 | nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland | nationalcaps1 = 57 | nationalgoals1 = 7 }} '''Claire Josephine Scanlan''' (born 21 February 1972) is an Irish soccer coach and former player. A midfielder, she played for the Republic of Ireland football team and for clubs in the American W-League, the Japanese L. League and the English FA Women's Premier League.
==Club career== Scanlan began playing with Rush Athletic as an 11-year-old. While attending St. Joseph's Secondary School Scanlan also played camogie and cricket.<ref name="circle">{{cite web|url=http://www.fingal-independent.ie/sport/soccer/claire-scanlan-has-turned-full-circle-from-a-devoted-student-to-an-expert-soccer-coach-662769.html?start=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002094240/http://www.fingal-independent.ie/sport/soccer/claire-scanlan-has-turned-full-circle-from-a-devoted-student-to-an-expert-soccer-coach-662769.html?start=2|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 October 2011|title=Claire Scanlan has turned full circle from a devoted student to an expert soccer coach|work=Fingal Independent|date=12 August 2005|author=Hubert Murphy|accessdate=18 July 2011}}</ref> She became the first female to play hurling at Croke Park with the school team, and marked the occasion with a goal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/fingal/praise-for-managers/27791301.html|title=Praise for Managers|work=Fingal Independent|date=11 February 2009|access-date=18 July 2011}}</ref>
After six seasons with Rush Athletic, Scanlan moved to Dublin rivals Swords Celtic. She returned to Rush Athletic and won Leinster Senior League Division Two honours with the club in 1990–91.<ref name="circle"/> In 1992 Scanlan took up a soccer scholarship to Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania. She was selected to the All-American team in 1994 and 1995 and was named both Division II Player of the Year and Conference Player of the Year.<ref name="troy">{{cite web|url=http://www.troytrojans.com/coaches.aspx?rc=267&path=wsoc |title=Claire Scanlan Assistant Coach|publisher=Troy University|accessdate=18 July 2011}}</ref>
After graduating Scanlan signed a full-time professional contract to play for OKI F.C. Winds, a club in Japan's L. League.<ref name="circle"/><ref name="troy"/> She returned to Ireland for a brief spell with Shelbourne, before heading back to America in August 1999.<ref name="ward"/> She won a W-League title with Springfield Sirens in 2000, before turning out for Memphis Mercury (2001 and 2002) and Boston Renegades (2003). Meanwhile, Scanlan had joined Leeds United and was playing for the Yorkshire club in the FA Women's Premier League National Division during the winter season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/fingal/claire-now-in-colours-of-leeds/27780292.html|title=Claire now in colours of Leeds|work=Fingal Independent|date=1 November 2002|author=Hubert Murphy|access-date=18 July 2011}}</ref>
After three seasons at Leeds, Scanlan joined Bristol Rovers as player-assistant manager to Gary Green.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.femalesoccer.net/wB_show_page.php?wB_page=wB_article&wB_tab=show&wB_id=3489|title=Gas Girls Won't Burn Out|publisher=FemaleSoccer.net|accessdate=18 July 2011}}</ref>
==International career== Scanlan made her debut for the Republic of Ireland in an Under–18 fixture against Northern Ireland in 1989. She scored both goals in the Republic's 2–0 win at Tolka Park.<ref name="legends">{{cite web|url=http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101247:irish-legends-behind-u17-world-cup-success&catid=11:under-17-women&Itemid=20|title=Irish legends behind U17 World Cup success|publisher=FAI.ie|date=11 September 2010|accessdate=18 July 2011}}</ref>
In February 2000 Scanlan was named the 1999 FAI Women's Senior International Player of the Year.<ref name="ward">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/fingal/top-soccer-award-for-rush-star-claire-scanlan/27783217.html|title=Top soccer award for Rush star Claire Scanlan|work=Fingal Independent|date=3 March 2000|author=Noel Ward|access-date=18 July 2011}}</ref>
She won a total of 57 senior caps and scored seven goals before retiring in 2009. In February of that year a half-time presentation during the Irish men's national team World Cup qualifier against Georgia at Croke Park recognised Scanlan's contribution to Irish football.<ref name="murphy">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/fingal/big-match-will-honour-star/27791292.html|title=Big match will honour star|work=Fingal Independent|date=11 February 2009|author=Hubert Murphy|access-date=18 July 2011}}</ref>
==Coaching career==
While playing for Bristol Academy, Scanlan was employed as the head coach of the Female Football Development Centre at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. She left to take up a post as assistant coach at Troy University,<ref name="murphy"/> where she had previously worked as a graduate coach between 1999 and 2001 while completing a Master's degree in Education.
Scanlan is also on the coaching staff of the FAI and was an assistant coach of the Irish team who reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.<ref name="legends"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{FAI Women's Senior International Player of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scanlan, Claire}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Republic of Ireland women's association footballers Category:Leeds United Women F.C. players Category:Bristol Academy W.F.C. players Category:Republic of Ireland women's international footballers Category:FA Women's National League players Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in Japan Category:Expatriate women's footballers in England Category:Expatriate women's soccer players in the United States Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Japan Category:USL W-League (1995–2015) players Category:Republic of Ireland expatriate women's association footballers Category:OKI FC Winds players Category:Nadeshiko League players Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Shelbourne F.C. (women) players Category:Dublin Women's Soccer League players Category:Mercyhurst Lakers women's soccer players Category:Women's association football midfielders Category:Republic of Ireland women's youth international footballers Category:Boston Renegades players Category:Association footballers from County Dublin