Lauren Perry

Lauren Perry
Personal information
Full name Lauren Perry
Date of birth (2001-04-05) 5 April 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Northern Ireland
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Montrose
Number 1
Youth career
Ballynahinch
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Linfield
2019–2020 Blackburn Rovers 0 (0)
2020–2021 Forfar Farmington
2021–2023 Dundee United
2023– Montrose 20 (0)
International career‡
2018 Northern Ireland U17 3 (0)
2017– Northern Ireland U19 9 (0)
2018– Northern Ireland 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:57, 12 February 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20 October 2019

Lauren Perry (born 5 April 2001) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Montrose in the Scottish Women's Premier League and for the Northern Ireland national team. She previously played for Linfield in Northern Ireland, Blackburn Rovers in England and Forfar Farmington and Dundee United in Scotland. She made her international debut for Northern Ireland in 2018.

Club career

In March 2017, Perry signed for Linfield, the club where her father, Alan Perry, was assistant first team coach. She made her Linfield debut in a 5–2 win against Sion Swifts on 22 March 2017. On 22 August 2017, Perry made her Champions League debut in a 2017–18 qualifying round match against PK-35 Vantaa. In her first season with the club she was named Women's Premiership player of the year and NIFWA Women’s Personality of the Year.[1]

On 2 October 2019, Perry signed with Blackburn Rovers in the English FA Women's Championship, shortly after former Linfield teammate Louise McDaniel made the same move.[2] In August 2020 she moved to Scotland, joining SWPL 1 team Forfar Farmington.[3] On 18 April 2021, she scored with a free kick from 25 yards to earn Forfar a 1–1 draw against Heart of Midlothian[4][5] and was subsequently nominated for the league's Player of the Month award.[6]

In July 2021, Perry was one of a number of players to leave Forfar for lower division teams shortly before they were forced to pull out of senior football.[7] She joined Dundee United in the second tier of the SWPL,[8] and was part of their squad that won the SWPL2 title in the 2021-22 season.[9] Perry then joined another SWPL club, Montrose, in 2023.[10]

International

On 15 September 2018, Perry made her senior international debut for Northern Ireland in a 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying defeat to Norway. She made nine saves and was voted player of the match.[11]

Personal life

Perry comes from Ballynahinch, County Down. While playing for Blackburn, she studied for a degree in Sport and PE at the University of Central Lancashire.[12]

Honours

Club

Linfield

Dundee United

References

  1. ^ FC, Linfield. "Linfield Ladies Profiles : Lauren Perry". The Official Website of Linfield FC.
  2. ^ "Perry makes Rovers move". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Perry signs for Forfar Farmington". BBC Sport. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  4. ^ "#SBSSWPL 1: Heart of Midlothian 1-1 Forfar Farmington". Scottish Women's Premier League. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Watch Forfar goalkeeper score 90th-minute leveller against Hearts". BBC Sport. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  6. ^ Bunting, Joshua (5 May 2021). "NI goalkeeper Perry nominated for Player of the Month award". BelfastLive. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  7. ^ Campbell, Alan (15 August 2021). "Alan Campbell: Forfar Farmington a sorry casualty of the professional era". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  8. ^ Frith, Wilf (31 July 2021). "Dundee United Women sign Northern Ireland goalkeeper Lauren Perry". SheKicks. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  9. ^ Campbell, Alan (27 March 2022). "Dundee United WFC amazed by the speed of fulfilling top-flight dream - Alan Campbell". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Oxtoby delves into past for Northern Ireland women squad". The Irish News. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Women World Cup Qualifiers Europe 2017/2018 » Teams (Northern Ireland)". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  12. ^ a b Gray, Andy (3 May 2020). "'I have to pinch myself' - NI keeper Perry on her rise to the top". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 April 2022.