# Claire Scanlan

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{{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](/source/Rush%2C_County_Dublin), Ireland
| height = 1.57 m
| position = [Midfielder](/source/Midfielder)
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| collegeyears1 = 1992–1995
| college1 = [Mercyhurst College](/source/Mercyhurst_College)
| years1 = 
| clubs1 = Rush Athletic
| years2 = 
| clubs2 = Swords Celtic
| years3 = 
| clubs3 = Rush Athletic
| years5 = 1996–1997
| clubs5 = [OKI F.C. Winds](/source/OKI_F.C._Winds)
| years6 = 1997–1998
| clubs6 = [Shelbourne](/source/Shelbourne_Ladies_F.C.)
| years7 = 2000
| clubs7 = [Springfield Sirens](/source/Springfield_Sirens)
| years8 = 2001–2004
| clubs8 = [Leeds United](/source/Leeds_United_L.F.C.)
| years9 = 2001–2002
| clubs9 = [Memphis Mercury](/source/Memphis_Mercury)
| years10 = 2003
| clubs10 = [Boston Renegades](/source/Boston_Renegades)
| years11 = 2004–2008
| clubs11 = [Bristol Academy](/source/Bristol_Academy_W.F.C.)
| nationalyears1 = 1989–2009
| nationalteam1 = [Republic of Ireland](/source/Republic_of_Ireland_women's_national_football_team)
| nationalcaps1 = 57
| nationalgoals1 = 7
}}
'''Claire Josephine Scanlan''' (born 21 February 1972) is an Irish [soccer](/source/soccer) coach and former player. A [midfielder](/source/midfielder), she played for the [Republic of Ireland football team](/source/Republic_of_Ireland_women's_national_football_team) and for clubs in the American [W-League](/source/USL_W-League_(1995%E2%80%932015)), the Japanese [L. League](/source/L._League) and the English [FA Women's Premier League](/source/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](/source/camogie) and [cricket](/source/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](/source/hurling) at [Croke Park](/source/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](/source/Mercyhurst_College) in [Pennsylvania](/source/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](/source/OKI_F.C._Winds), a club in Japan's [L. League](/source/L._League).<ref name="circle"/><ref name="troy"/> She returned to Ireland for a brief spell with [Shelbourne](/source/Shelbourne_Ladies_F.C.), before heading back to America in August 1999.<ref name="ward"/> She won a [W-League](/source/USL_W-League_(1995%E2%80%932015)) title with [Springfield Sirens](/source/Springfield_Sirens) in 2000, before turning out for [Memphis Mercury](/source/Memphis_Mercury) (2001 and 2002) and [Boston Renegades](/source/Boston_Renegades) (2003). Meanwhile, Scanlan had joined [Leeds United](/source/Leeds_United_L.F.C.) and was playing for the [Yorkshire](/source/Yorkshire) club in the [FA Women's Premier League National Division](/source/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](/source/Bristol_Academy_W.F.C.) 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](/source/Republic_of_Ireland_women's_national_football_team) in an Under–18 fixture against [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland_women's_national_football_team) in 1989. She scored both goals in the Republic's 2–0 win at [Tolka Park](/source/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](/source/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(UEFA)) against [Georgia](/source/Georgia_national_football_team) 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](/source/South_Gloucestershire_and_Stroud_College). She left to take up a post as assistant coach at [Troy University](/source/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](/source/Football_Association_of_Ireland) and was an assistant coach of the Irish team who reached the quarter-finals of the [2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Claire Scanlan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Scanlan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Scanlan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.
