{{Short description|Northern Irish footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox football biography |embed = |name = Marissa Callaghan<br>{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE|size=90%}}}} |image = 2014-05-08 Sverige - Nordirland 3 - 0 (A 90 5538) (cropped).jpg |image_size = 250px |alt = |caption = Marissa Callaghan (center) in a match with Sweden (2005) |fullname = Marissa James Callaghan |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|9|2|df=y}} |birth_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland |height = 1.65 m |position = Midfielder |currentclub = Cliftonville |clubnumber = |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = Newington Girls |collegeyears1 = |college1 = |collegecaps1 = |collegegoals1 = |years1 = 2005–2025 |clubs1 = Cliftonville |caps1 = |goals1 = |nationalyears1 = 2010–2025 |nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland |nationalcaps1 = 91 |nationalgoals1 = 9 |club-update = |nationalteam-update = 22:55, 13 July 2022 (UTC) }}
'''Marissa James Callaghan''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE|size=90%}} (born 2 September 1985) is a Northern Irish football midfielder who has played her entire career for Cliftonville Ladies, and formerly for the Northern Ireland national team, of which she served as captain.
==Early career== Callaghan started playing football at 13 for the Newington Girls (now known as Cliftonville Ladies).<ref name=un>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/Download/Publications/uefaorg/General/02/49/47/33/2494733_DOWNLOAD.pdf |title=2017 UEFA Women's European Championship official programme |publisher=UEFA |date= |accessdate=2017-11-04}}</ref> After this, she went to university in the United States on a football scholarship.<ref name=uu /> She returned to Northern Ireland in 2005 and started playing for Cliftonville again. She graduated with an advanced certificate in sports coaching from the University of Ulster in 2017.<ref name=uu>{{cite web|url=https://www.ulster.ac.uk/news/2017/july/ulster-university-graduate-has-her-eye-on-the-ball |title=Ulster University graduate has her eye on the ball |publisher=University of Ulster |date= 10 July 2017|accessdate=2017-11-04}}</ref> As a result, she also volunteered as a coach for Cliftonville Ladies.<ref name=bl>{{cite web|author=Johnny Morton |url=http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/marissa-callaghan-looking-inspire-next-13308539 |title=Marissa Callaghan looking to inspire the next generation after recent graduation |publisher=Belfast Live |date=2017-07-10 |accessdate=2017-11-04}}</ref> Later she became their academy director.<ref name=bl />
==With Northern Ireland== Callaghan made her international debut for the Northern Ireland women's national under-19 football team in 2002.<ref name=wc>{{cite web|author=FIFA Women's World Cup |url=http://www.uefa.com/womensworldcup/season=2015/teams/player=67771/profile/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907040318/https://www.uefa.com/womensworldcup/season=2015/teams/player=67771/profile/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 September 2019 |title=Marissa Callaghan |publisher=UEFA |date= |accessdate=2017-11-04}}</ref> She made her debut for Northern Ireland in 2010.<ref name=wc /> In 2016, Callaghan was awarded the Northern Ireland Women's Football Association Women's Personality of the Year award.<ref name=un /> A year later she was the tournament ambassador for the 2017 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship being held in Northern Ireland.<ref name=un />
Callaghan was part of the squad that was called up to the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Ireland UEFA Women’s Euro squad announced |url=https://www.irishfa.com/news/2022/june/northern-ireland-uefa-women-s-euro-squad-announced |website=Irish FA |date=27 June 2022}}</ref> She also captained the Northern Ireland team at Euro 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jul/06/northern-ireland-captain-callaghan-euro-2022|title='Incredible journey': Northern Ireland captain Callaghan upbeat for Euro 2022|date=6 July 2022|work=Guardian|accessdate=7 July 2022}}</ref>
==International goals== :''Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.'' {| class="wikitable" |- ! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition |- | 4. || 9 March 2015 || Umag 4, Umag, Croatia || {{fbw|CRO}} || align=center|'''1'''–0 || align=center| 1–2 || 2015 Istria Cup |- | 5. || rowspan=2| 3 June 2016 || rowspan=2| Solitude, Belfast, Northern Ireland || rowspan=2| {{fbw|GEO}} || align=center|'''2'''–0 || rowspan=2 align=center| 4–0 || rowspan=2| UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying |- | 6. || align=center|'''3'''–0 |- | 7. || 13 April 2021 || Seaview, Belfast, Northern Ireland || {{fbw|UKR}} || align=center|'''1'''–0 || align=center| 2–0 || UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying play-offs |- | 8. || 17 September 2021 || Inver Park, Larne, Northern Ireland || {{fbw|LUX}} || align=center|'''1'''–0 || align=center| 4–0 || rowspan=2| 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |- | 9. || 21 September 2021 || Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland || {{fbw|LVA}} || align=center|'''3'''–0 || align=center| 4–0 |- |}
==Career== After leaving university, Callaghan started working full-time in 2010 as a women's football community coach.<ref name="bt">{{cite news |title=Football star Marissa Callaghan aims to inspire others |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/graduations/football-star-marissa-callaghan-aims-to-inspire-others-35914272.html |accessdate=2017-11-04 |newspaper=Belfast Telegraph}}</ref> In 2016, Callaghan was selected as a women's football ambassador for the Irish Football Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishfa.com/news/2016/april/women-ambassadors-announced |title=Women Ambassadors announced |publisher=Irish Football Association |date=2016-04-26 |accessdate=2017-11-04}}</ref> Following this, she worked with Northern Ireland national football team captain Steven Davis to promote participation in women's youth football.<ref>{{cite web|author=Chris Sherrard |url=http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/northern-ireland-football-captains-unite-13118945 |title=Northern Ireland football captains unite for Electric Ireland campaign |publisher=Belfast Live |date=2017-05-31 |accessdate=2017-11-04}}</ref>
== Personal life == Callaghan is a Roman Catholic and has discussed representing Northern Ireland and the need of a national anthem that could represent a common identity to both Catholics and Protestants.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/59536154 Northern Ireland should have their own anthem identity - NI women's captain Marissa Callaghan, BBC Sport, 7 December 2021]</ref> She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to Association Football and to the community in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=64607 |date=30 December 2024 |page=N17 |supp=y }}</ref> She is married to her partner Paula and they have one son together.<ref>[https://www.l-mag.de/news-1010/das-sind-die-50-lesbischen-stars-der-fussball-em-2022.html L-Mag.de: Das sind die 59 lesbischen Stars der Fussball-EM 2022 (German)], July 2022</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{Northern Ireland squad UEFA Women's Euro 2022}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Callaghan, Marissa}} Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Northern Ireland women's international footballers Category:Association football managers from Northern Ireland Category:Alumni of Ulster University Category:Association footballers from Belfast Category:Women's association football midfielders Category:Women's association footballers from Northern Ireland Category:21st-century sportswomen from Northern Ireland Category:UEFA Women's Euro 2022 players Category:LGBTQ Roman Catholics Category:LGBTQ sportspeople from Northern Ireland Category:Lesbians from Northern Ireland Category:British LGBTQ footballers Category:British lesbian sportswomen Category:21st-century LGBTQ people from Northern Ireland Category:Irish LGBTQ footballers Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:Lesbian Christians