Natasha Flint

Natasha Flint
Flint playing for Leicester City in 2021
Personal information
Full name Natasha Jane Flint[1]
Date of birth (1996-08-02) 2 August 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Salford, Greater Manchester, England
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Tampa Bay Sun
Number 9
Youth career
2001–2013 Manchester United
2013–2014 Manchester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Manchester City 19 (2)
2015 Preston North End ? (?)
2016 Notts County Ladies 0 (0)
2016 Fylde
2017 Sheffield
2017 Fylde
2017–2020 Blackburn Rovers 66 (70)
2020–2023 Leicester City 48 (20)
2023 → Celtic (loan) 12 (7)
2023 Liverpool 2 (1)
2024 → Celtic (loan) 14 (11)
2024– Tampa Bay Sun 0 (0)
International career
2012–2013 England U17 6 (4)
2013–2015 England U19 13 (6)
2014 England U20 1 (0)
2018 England U23 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 June 2024

Natasha Jane Flint (born 2 August 1996) is an English footballer who plays as a forward for USL Super League club Tampa Bay Sun. She has represented England at the youth levels, playing at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, as well as the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in 2015, 2014 and 2013, collecting a runners-up medal in 2013. She played as a teenager for Manchester City, with whom she won the FA Women's League Cup in 2014.

Youth career

Born in the Lower Kersal area of Salford in Greater Manchester, Flint joined the Manchester United Centre of Excellence at age five.[3] In 2013, she joined the Manchester City academy and by the following year, she was training with and traveling to camp with the senior team.[4]

Senior career

Manchester City

In March 2014, at age 17, Flint signed her first senior contract with Manchester City ahead of the club's first campaign in the Women's Super League.[4] In July 2014, she scored a goal against Chelsea that was named a finalist for the 2014 FA WSL Goal of the Season,[5] and in October, she was in the starting lineup when City won the 2014 Continental Cup (WSL Cup).[6] However, a In October 2015, following a 2015 campaign with just one start and five substitute appearances in the 2015 FA WSL,[7] Flint was released by Manchester City at age 19.[8]

2015–17

Following her release from Manchester City, Flint signed with Preston North End (later renamed Fylde Ladies) in the FA Women's National League North, the third tier of English women's football in October 2015 and played the remainder of the year before signing with Notts County in the Super League.[8] However, she left Notts County in March 2016, four days before the start of the 2016 FA WSL season citing "personal reasons"[7] and signed with the renamed Fylde Ladies in June 2016.[9] In January 2017, she signed with Sheffield F.C. in WSL 2 (now FA Women's Championship)[10] before rejoining Fylde in July the same year.[11]

Blackburn Rovers

In December 2017, Flint signed with Blackburn Rovers in the FA Women's National League, the third tier of women's football in England.[12] In 2019, Flint helped Blackburn achieve their first-ever promotion to the FA Women's Championship and scored in the playoff final against Coventry United.[13] Although she was limited to six games and nine goals in the 2019–20 campaign curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, she had amassed 70 goals in 66 matches over three seasons.[14]

Leicester City

In June 2020, Flint left Blackburn at the conclusion of her contract and in August 2020, she signed with Leicester City Women, along with eleven other new players who were brought in as part of the women's club's conversion to a fully professional structure.[15] She won the Women's Championship Player of the Month honours for December 2020 with four league goals during the month.[16] On 4 April 2021, Flint scored the second Leicester goal in a 2–0 win over London City Lionesses, securing the 2020–21 season title and a promotion to the FA Women's Super League.[17] Flint had previously worked part-time as a lab technician, but after losing the job to a COVID-19 pandemic-forced furlough, she moved to training full-time, a change that she has credited for her scoring form with Leicester.[18]

She ended the 2020–21 Championship season as the club's top scorer with 17 goals in the competition.[19] On 16 May 2021, Flint scored the winning goal in a 2–3 upset of Manchester United in the fifth round of the 2020–21 Women's FA Cup.[20]

Celtic

Midway through the 2022–23, Flint joined Celtic on loan for the remainder of the season.[21] She saw a successful loan spell scoring eight goals which helped Celtic capture the Scottish Cup[22] and secure a place in the 2023–24 UEFA Women's Champions League.

Liverpool

In July 2023, Flint signed for Liverpool.[23] After struggling to get regular games for Liverpool, she rejoined Celtic on loan for the rest of the 2023–24 season in January 2024.[24]

Tampa Bay Sun

In June 2024, Flint joined Tampa Bay Sun ahead of the inaugural USL Super League season.[25]

International career

Flint has represented England at youth levels and played at the 2013 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, where England under-19s reached the final, as well as the 2014 and the 2015 editions of the tournament, scoring a 40-yard goal against Spain in the latter.[26] She also played for England under-20s at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[27]

References

  1. ^ "England team guide". UEFA.com. 1 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Natasha Flint". sport.de.
  3. ^ "The future is bright for women's football". Manchester United Foundation. 8 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b Oatway, Caroline (18 March 2014). "NATASHA FLINT PENS FIRST SENIOR CONTRACT". Manchester City W.F.C.
  5. ^ "Women's Super League reveal awards shortlist". Sky Sports. 31 October 2014.
  6. ^ "CITY'S ISOBEL CHRISTIANSEN ENDS ARSENAL CUP DOMINANCE". thefa.com. 16 October 2014.
  7. ^ a b Ruzkai, Amée (16 March 2016). "Natasha Flint leaves Notts County". Vavel.
  8. ^ a b "Natasha Flint: Former Man City forward joins Notts County". bbc.com. 15 December 2015.
  9. ^ "LADIES SIGN ENGLAND STAR". AFC FYLDE. 12 June 2016.
  10. ^ @SFCWomen (8 January 2017). "So, first of the new players: manager @zoejonno is thrilled to welcome "fantastic signing" WU20s England forward @flint_tasha to the Club!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ^ @FyldeWomenFC (6 July 2017). "England U23 International Natasha Flint signs! The talented midfielder returns to the coasters following a successful spell in WSL 2. ⚽️📝" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ "Flint aims to provide a spark for Donnelly's Rovers". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 15 December 2017.
  13. ^ James, Alex (20 May 2019). "Forget Man City – Rovers Ladies complete quadruple of their own". LancsLive.
  14. ^ Pentland, Daniel (21 June 2020). "FORMER BLACKBURN ROVERS FORWARD DESERVING OF ANOTHER TOP FLIGHT OPPORTUNITY?". FAWSL Full Time.
  15. ^ Pentland, Daniel (22 August 2020). "LEICESTER CITY ANNOUNCE 11 NEW SIGNINGS AS THEY GO FULL-TIME". FAWSL Full Time.
  16. ^ "Monthly Accolade For In-Form LCFC Women Striker Flint". Leicester City W.F.C. 7 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Leicester City 2–0 London City Lionesses". thefa.com. 4 April 2021.
  18. ^ Sanders, Emma (16 January 2021). "Natasha Flint: Leicester striker on getting back to the top with Women's Championship leaders". BBC.com.
  19. ^ "Flint Delighted To Finish On A High". LCFC.com. 4 May 2021.
  20. ^ "Manchester United 2-3 Leicester City: Departing Casey Stoney vows to be Red Devils' biggest fan after shock Women's FA Cup exit". BBC. 16 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  21. ^ "Deadline day delight as Celtic FC Women sign Natasha Flint". Celtic Football Club. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  22. ^ Duncan, Thomas (28 May 2023). "Celtic 2-0 Rangers: Fran Alonso's side win Women's Scottish Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  23. ^ Kelly, Andy (5 July 2023). "Natasha Flint signs for Liverpool FC Women". Liverpool Football Club. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Flint returns to Celtic until end of season". BBC Sport. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  25. ^ "Super Signings Weekly Recap: June 1–7". USLSuperLeague.com. USL Super League. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  26. ^ Keel, Toby (20 July 2015). "ENGLISH 19-YEAR-OLD NATASHA FLINT'S STUNNING 40-YARD LOB GOAL". Eurosport.
  27. ^ "NATASHA FLINT'S COMING OF AGE AT THE U20 WORLD CUP". thefa.com. 3 August 2014.
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