Doncaster Rovers Belles striker Jody Handley has retired from football, after failing to make an appearance for the WSL 2 side.
The former England forward joined the second tier outfit from Everton in January, but has been hampered with injuries after two decades in the game.
Handley started her career with short spells at Shrewsbury and Wolves, but earned her breakthrough with Liverpool back in 1995. Competing in the FA Women’s Cup final aged just 17, she enjoyed a spell in the United States before returning to Liverpool.
She then joined Everton Ladies for her first spell with the Merseyside club on the turn of the millennium, before opting for a move to Doncaster Rovers a year later. Netting two goals on her debut, she also scored her side’s only goal in a 2-1 defeat to Fulham in another FA Women’s Cup final.
Handley will now train to become a physiotherapist, having been a regular on the international scene. Making her debut back in 2002 against Nigeria, she joined the England set-up for the 2007 Women’s World Cup in China – before ending her international career with six goals in 38 appearances.
Now 36-years-old, Handley returned to the Toffees in 2004, where she spent many years and continued to implement her presence in women’s football. She eventually claimed her first FA Cup winner’s medal in the 2009/10 season, and eventually joined the Belles at the start of this year.
Speaking about her retirement, she said: “It has been an extremely tough decision for me to make to retire from the game after playing in the top flight for 20 years but after the recurrence of previous injuries throughout pre-season, I felt it was my body’s way of telling me enough is enough.
“I signed for Doncaster at the beginning of the year with every intention of helping them to secure promotion back into the WSL 1 but unfortunately this wasn’t to be the case. It was a pleasure to be a part of that famous ‘Belles Family’ ethos again and see so many dedicated individuals working towards the progression of the club despite limited financial reward.”
Doncaster Rovers Belles currently sit top of the WSL 2 table, dropping just two points in their first five games.
