Rachel Furness became Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer against North Macedonia in November 2021
Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist
Rachel Furness, Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer, has announced her retirement from football.
At club level, the 36-year-old played for a number of sides in England including Sunderland, Reading, Tottenham, Liverpool, Bristol City and Newcastle United.
After making her international debut in 2005, the midfielder won 95 caps and scored 38 goals for Northern Ireland.
Furness played a key role in NI’s qualification for the Euro 2022 finals – the county’s first major women’s tournament.
Her final Northern Ireland appearance came away to Hungary in the Nations League in October 2023, although she was recently recalled in April’s international window and was part of the squad for Nations League matches with Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Born in Newcastle and qualifying for Northern Ireland through her mother and grandfather, Furness made her senior international debut as a teenager in 2005 – shortly after the team had been reformed.
Furness was integral to Northern Ireland’s historic qualification for Euro 2022, scoring five goals, and her dedication to her country was showcased in the play-off first leg in Ukraine.
After scoring the opening goal, she attempted to play on despite sustaining what turned out to be a broken leg. In the second leg, she was there heading every ball and cheering every tackle whilst on crutches on the sidelines.
She recovered and became Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer in November 2021 when she netted twice in a World Cup qualifying win over North Macedonia at Seaview.
Furness played in all three matches at the finals in Southampton, delayed a year by Covid, providing the assist for Julie Nelson’s famous header against Norway.
She stepped away from international duty following the tournament, which she later revealed in an emotional interview to BBC Sport NI was to look after her mental health.
She made a long-awaited return to the squad away to Wales the following April, and her last cap came in Hungary in October 2023 as injuries limited her involvement.
However, her standing was still clear when she was drafted in as a last-minute call up for April’s game at home to Romania, providing crucial experience in a young squad, and she retained her place for the concluding fixtures in the Women’s Nations League campaign.
Watch: ‘I needed help’ – Rachel Furness on mental health break and return to NI team
After starting her club career at Sunderland, Furness had a stint a Newcastle United, where she recovered from a serious knee injury before she spent a summer in Iceland with Grindavik in 2010.
She returned to England with Sunderland, where she won the Premier League Nations Division title in her six years at the club.
When Sunderland reverted to part-time status, Furness moved on to Reading in 2017 and had a loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur.
The most successful stint of her club career, which also aligned with Northern Ireland’s historic spell, came when she signed for Liverpool in 2019.
Furness helped Liverpool back to the top flight in 2023 and made it back-to-back Championship titles when she played an integral role in Bristol City’s promotion the following season.
However, her dream had always been to play for her childhood club, Newcastle, and she signed a one-year deal in July.
It was fitting that she got to live out her dream at Newcastle, and although injuries limited her involvement throughout the season, she helped the Magpies to fifth place in the Championship table.
Analysis – one of NI’s most impactful players
With injuries limiting her minutes and Tanya Oxtoby’s youthful approach, Furness’ news is not entirely unexpected but does signal the latest changing of the guard for Northern Ireland.
However, just like when Marissa Callaghan announced her retirement, is it sad to see another of Northern Ireland’s history-making Euro 2022 squad call time on their time in green.
As a player, Furness will be remembered as a fearless competitor who made history by becoming the record goalscorer for her country.
One of the most important strikes was in the historic Euro 2022 play-off first leg in Ukraine, when she netted the opening goal before she tried to play on after sustaining a broken leg. That sums up her dedication to her country.
Away from her goals, one of the standout memories of Furness is her dancing around with her crutches in the air after the play-off win over Ukraine.
Furness also had a huge impact off the pitch, and her openness about her mental health struggles were inspiring as she encouraged other players to be open about their feelings and to stand up for their beliefs.
Her story is one of resilience and perseverance, and her all-round presence, not just her footballing ability, means she will be regarded as one of the most impactful players in Northern Ireland’s storied history.
