Jayne Ludlow
MBE
Jayne Ludlow in October 2006
Personal information
Full name Jayne Louise Ludlow[1]
Date of birth (1979-01-07) 7 January 1979
Place of birth Llwynypia, Wales
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Manchester City Academy (technical director)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Barry Town Ladies
Millwall Lionesses
Southampton Saints
2000–2013 Arsenal Ladies 356 (211)
2005 → New York Magic (loan)[2] 6 (3)
International career
1996–2012 Wales 61 (19)
Managerial career
2013–2014 Reading
2014–2021 Wales
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jayne Louise Ludlow MBE (born 7 January 1979) is a Welsh football coach and former player who is currently the technical director of Manchester City Girls' Academy.[3] In 2018, she was inducted on to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame Roll of Honour along with Roy Francis (Rugby League), Lynne Thomas (Cricket / Hockey), Kelly Morgan (Badminton) and Becky James (Cycling).

As a player, Ludlow played as a midfielder for Arsenal for 13 years and captained the Wales national team until her international retirement in 2012. Ludlow also captained Arsenal and was the club's top goalscorer of all time when she retired.[4][5]

After retiring from playing, Ludlow moved into management and led the Wales national team and its youth teams.[3]

Club career

Ludlow's father had been a professional football player, and she began her own football career early, playing with a boys' team before having to stop aged 12.[6] Ludlow enjoyed a promising junior career in athletics, being the British record holder in the triple jump at Under-17 level and also representing the UK at the Under-20s level. She also represented Wales at netball and basketball.[6][7] Ludlow decided to focus on football, but had to travel to Barry Town to play since there were no girls' teams in the South Wales Valleys.[6][8]

Ludlow won a scholarship to University of Pennsylvania in the United States, but left months into the four-year course due to dissatisfaction with the standard of football.[6][8] She then moved to London and played for Millwall Lionesses and Southampton Saints while completing a physiotherapy degree at King's College, London.[8]

Joining Arsenal in 2000, Ludlow scored 28 goals from midfield as she helped the Gunners to a domestic treble in her first season. At the time, manager Vic Akers described her as "the best box-to-box player in the women's game".[8] She was voted Players' Player of the Year in 2001, an achievement she repeated in 2003 and 2004. In 2007, Ludlow was a key part of the side which won an unprecedented quadruple, scoring 24 goals.[9][4][5] In the 2005 off-season she returned to the United States to play for New York Magic.[2]

She stayed loyal to Arsenal to become vice-captain and later captain of the side.[5][4][10]

During Arsenal's 1–0 league win at Everton in April 2010, Ludlow was red carded for an "aggressive outburst" at opponent Fara Williams.[11] This meant that club captain Ludlow was suspended for the 2010 FA Women's Cup Final, in which Arsenal were beaten by Everton.

In July 2013 after a succession of injuries, Ludlow announced her retirement from playing, indicating a desire to focus on her role as an academy coach with Arsenal Ladies and Wales. Altogether with Arsenal Ludlow, she won nine league titles, six FA Cups, and a UEFA Women's Cup. Ludlow is Arsenal Ladies highest goal scorer of all time.[12][5][4]

International career

Ludlow won her first senior Wales cap at the age of 17, against the Republic of Ireland in February 1996.[13]

In November 2010, she returned to the fold following the appointment of new coach Jarmo Matikainen.[14] Ludlow then won her 50th cap, and scored her 18th goal, in captaining Wales to an 8–1 win over Bulgaria.[15]

When Ludlow retired from international football in October 2012, she was described by Matikainen as "the most successful player that Wales has ever had".[16]

Coaching career

In August 2013, Ludlow accepted a position as manager and director of Reading, who had successfully bid for a place in the FA WSL 2.[17] She stepped down from the role at the end of the 2014 FA WSL season, after being appointed manager of the Wales women's national football team on 2 October 2014.[18]

Playing style

At first, Ludlow sought to mimic Pelé's playing style. She went on to model her game upon players such as Roy Keane to become a more orthodox midfielder.[4][6] Ludlow has also often been compared with fellow Gunner Freddie Ljungberg, to her delight.[19][20]

Managerial statistics

As of 31 August 2018
Team From To Record
GWDLWin %
Reading 30 August 2013 2 October 2014 22 14 3 5 063.64
Wales 2 October 2014 January 2021 39 15 13 11 038.46
Total 61 29 16 16 047.54

Personal life

Ludlow is also a big fan of Arsenal.[20]

Honours

Ludlow was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to women's football in Wales.[21]

Arsenal

Individual

  • FA Players' Player of the Year Award: (3) 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Jayne Ludlow". UEFA. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  2. 1 2 "New York Magic". USLsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Manchester City: Jayne Ludlow joins WSL side as youth technical director". BBC Sport. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Brumsack, Nik (11 July 2013). "'I've enjoyed every single minute'". Arsenal.com. Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Jayne Ludlow announces retirement". Arsenal.com.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Profile and interview". BBC. 11 July 2002. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  7. ↑ Emma Robertson (3 September 1995). "Schoolgirl with the world at her feet". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Sarah Potter (6 October 2001). "Ludlow leaps on to bigger stage". The Times. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  9. ↑ "Statistics 2006–2007". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  10. ↑ "Short profile". Arsenal FC. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  11. ↑ "Ladies lose to the Gunners". Everton F.C. 12 April 2010. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  12. ↑ "Arsenal Ladies Legend Jayne Ludlow "very proud" to be new manager of Wales Women". Wales Online.co.uk.
  13. ↑ "Jayne Ludlow". UEFA.
  14. ↑ Tony Leighton (21 November 2010). "Arsenal's Jayne Ludlow returns to Wales's colours against Bulgaria". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  15. ↑ "Match Report – Wales 8 – 1 Bulgaria". FAW.org.uk.
  16. ↑ "Arsenal's Jayne Ludlow calls time on Wales career". British Broadcasting Corporation. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  17. ↑ "Jayne Ludlow appointed Reading Manager". She Kicks. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  18. ↑ "National Women's Teams Manager - Jayne Ludow". Football Association of Wales. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  19. ↑ "Rhondda's top Gunner has City in her sights". Wales Online.co.uk.
  20. 1 2 "Sportswomen of the Year: Top gunner". The Times.co.uk.
  21. ↑ "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B19.
  22. ↑ "England (Women) 2003/04". RSSF.com.
  23. ↑ "Ludlow sets Arsenal new target". UEFA.com.
  24. ↑ "England (Women) 2001/02". RSSF.com.
  25. 1 2 "ARSENAL LADIES MAKE HISTORY". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  26. ↑ "Arsenal women retain Super League title with victory over Doncaster". The Guardian.
  27. ↑ "Arsenal take English WSL title". UEFA.com.
  28. ↑ "Arsenal 4-1 Birmingham". FAWSL.com.
  29. ↑ "Arsenal Ladies 1-0 Birmingham City". FAWSL.com.
  30. ↑ "FA Cup win secures Arsenal Double". BBC.
  31. ↑ "Arsenal enjoy Fleeting moment". The Guardian.
  32. ↑ "Arsenal 5 Leeds 0: Yankey leads march in Arsenal cup coup". The Independent.
  33. ↑ "League Cup Final: Doncaster 0-5 Arsenal". Arsenal.com.
  34. ↑ "Arsenal put rivals in their place". The Guardian.
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