Laura Coombs

Laura Coombs[2] (born 29 January 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Manchester City and the England women's national team.

Not to be confused with Laura Coombs Hills.

Laura Coombs
Coombs with Liverpool in 2017
Personal information
Full name Laura Coombs[1]
Date of birth (1991-01-29) 29 January 1991
Place of birth Gravesend, England
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Manchester City
Number 7
Youth career
Charlton Athletic
Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2011 Arsenal 10 (0)
2010 → Nottingham Forest (loan) 8 (0)
2011 → Los Angeles Strikers (loan) 8 (1)
2011–2017 Chelsea 52 (1)
2012–2013 → Barnet (loan) 4 (1)
2013 → Los Angeles Strikers (loan)
2016 → Liverpool (loan) 13 (1)
2017–2019 Liverpool 45 (4)
2019– Manchester City 56 (11)
International career‡
2009–2010 England U19 12 (3)
2012–2014 England U23 6 (1)
2015– England 7 (0)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  England
UEFA–CONMEBOL Finalissima
Winner2023 England
FIFA Women's World Cup
Runner-up2023 Australia and New Zealand
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:14, 17 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:17, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

A hard-working defensive midfielder, Coombs is described by former teammate Gilly Flaherty as "a real grafter and she'll put in the work that some people don't want to do."[3] She made her senior career debut for Arsenal in 2007. She went on to play for Chelsea and Liverpool before joining Manchester City in 2019.

Coombs made her debut for the senior England women's national football team in October 2015.

Club career

Coombs began playing football aged seven or eight, when she joined a team run by her best friend's father.[4] She progressed to Arsenal's youth academy and began playing in the first team at 16. In September 2009, Coombs made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut in Arsenal's 9–0 win over PAOK Thessaloniki.[5] In summer 2011, Coombs played for American W-League team Los Angeles Strikers, scoring one goal in eight appearances.[6]

During the mid-season break of the inaugural 2011 FA WSL season, Coombs transferred to Chelsea. Chelsea reached the FA Women's Cup final for the first time in 2012, but were eventually beaten by Birmingham City in a penalty shootout after twice taking the lead in a 2–2 draw.[7] In the 2013 mid-season break, Coombs had another stint with LA Strikers.[6] At the 2013 International Women's Club Championship Coombs scored in Chelsea's 3–2 semi-final win over Sydney FC in Okayama, Japan.[8]

In 2015 Chelsea won their first ever major trophy, in the 2015 FA Women's Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. They then beat Sunderland 4–0 in October 2015 to secure the FA WSL title and a League and Cup "double".[9] Teammates noted an improvement in Coombs' strength and power that season, a result of the team's transition from part-time to full-time training.[3]

Coombs announced a season-long loan move to FA WSL rivals Liverpool on 22 December 2015, the same day as Chelsea signed Karen Carney from Birmingham City.[10] During 2017 she eventually signed a two-year deal with the reds.[11]

After three years at the Merseyside club, Coombs, signed in June 2019, for Manchester City on a two-year contract.[12][13] She went on to win the 2020 FA Cup with City.[14] During May 2021 Coombs signed a two-year extension with Man City.[15] She later triumphed in lifting the 2022 League Cup title with the Citizens.[14]

In the first half of the 2022–23 season, Coombs almost matched her total appearance count for Man City in her previous three seasons with them, having been elevated to a regular starter following the departure of the club's previous starting midfield three; she took on the role of an aggressive centre midfielder.[16]

International career

In July 2009 Coombs featured as England under-19 won the 2009 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Belarus, with a 2–0 final win over Sweden. In 2010 England reached the final of the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Macedonia, where they lost their title to France. Coombs had been ruled out by injury before the semi-final.[17]

National coach Mark Sampson gave Coombs her first senior call up in October 2015 for the China Cup.[18] She won her first England cap on 23 October 2015, as a substitute in England's 2–1 defeat by China in Yongchuan,[19] also earning a few minutes in another match of the same tournament. In 2020, she was called up for England training camp but did not play.[20]

Coombs was allotted 193 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.[21][22]

Having not played for England since 2015, Coombs was named in the squad for the 2023 Arnold Clark Cup after performing well with more regular playing time at Man City. The Offside Rule also said that she offers more age and experience for the attacking half of the England squad.[16] She became the oldest player in the squad and said that, though always wanting to represent her country, she had parked those aspirations after not being called up in so long.[20] She came on as a substitute for former City teammate Georgia Stanway in their first match[23][16] and started in the next.[24] In May 2023, Coombs was named in England's squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[25]

Personal life

Coombs graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with a degree in HR and business. She aims to eventually become an entrepreneur.[26]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 15 October 2023[27]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA cup League cup Continental[lower-alpha 1] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Arsenal 2007–08 FA WPL 1 0 0 0 — 0 0 1 0
2008–09 FA WPL 2 0 1 0 — 2 0 5 0
2009–10 FA WPL 6 0 2 0 — 3 1 11 1
2011 FA WSL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 10 0 3 0 0 0 5 0 18 1
Nottingham Forest (loan) 2009–10 FA WPL 8 0 0 0 — — 8 0
Los Angeles Strikers (loan) 2011 USL W-League 8 1 — — — 8 1
Chelsea 2011 FA WSL 6 0 0 0 1 0 — 7 0
2012 FA WSL 13 1 4 0 3 0 — 20 0
2013 FA WSL 9 0 ? ? 3 0 — 12 0
2014 FA WSL 11 0 2 1 4 1 — 17 2
2015 FA WSL 13 0 ? ? 6 2 4 0 23 2
Total 52 1 6 1 17 3 4 0 79 5
Barnet F.C (loan) 2012–13 FA WPL 4 1 1 0 — — 5 1
Los Angeles Strikers (loan) 2013 USL W-League Stats unavailable
Liverpool (loan) 2016 FA WSL 13 1 1 0 1 0 — 15 1
Liverpool 2017 FA WSL 8 1 0 0 — — 8 1
2017–18 FA WSL 17 3 1 0 1 0 — 19 3
2018–19 FA WSL 20 0 3 0 4 0 — 27 0
Total 58 5 5 0 6 0 — 69 5
Manchester City 2019–20 FA WSL 4 0 2 1 4 1 1 0 11 2
2020–21 FA WSL 13 2 0 0 3 1 5 0 21 2
2021–22 FA WSL 16 4 4 0 5 0 2 0 27 4
2022–23 WSL 22 5 2 0 2 0 2 0 28 5
2023–24 WSL 1 0 0 0 1 0 — 2 0
Total 56 11 8 1 15 2 10 0 88 13
Career total 196 19 23 2 38 5 19 0 276 26
  1. UEFA Women's Champions League

International
As of match played 1 August 2023[27]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
England 2015 2 0
2023 5 0
Total 7 0

Honours

Chelsea

Manchester City

England

Individual

  • PFA WSL Fans' Player of the Month: December 2022[31]

References
  1. "FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 – Squad List: England (ENG)" (PDF). FIFA. 11 July 2023. p. 9. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  2. "FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 – Squad List: England (ENG)" (PDF). FIFA. 11 July 2023. p. 9. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  3. Flaherty, Gilly (2 April 2015). "Chelsea Ladies One by One". Chelsea L.F.C. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  4. West, Gina (27 August 2015). "Laura Coombs: It was such an historic day for women's football in England and for Chelsea Ladies". Women's Soccer United. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  5. "Laura Coombs". UEFA. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  6. "Strikers Alums Return for Playoff Push". United Soccer Leagues. 9 July 2013. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  7. Nisbet, John (27 May 2012). "Shoot-out has unhappy ending for Chelsea Ladies". The Independent. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  8. Bond, Steve (4 December 2013). "Laura Coombs and Eni Aluko drive Chelsea to tough victory over Sydney". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  9. Garry, Tom (4 October 2015). "WSL 1: Chelsea Ladies 4–0 Sunderland Ladies". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  10. "Laura Coombs: Liverpool Ladies sign Chelsea midfielder on loan". BBC Sport. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  11. "Laura Coombs and Leandra Little to leave LFC Women". liverpool.com. Liverpool WFC. 24 May 2019.
  12. "Laura Coombs: Manchester City sign midfielder after Liverpool departure". bbc.com. BBC. 3 June 2019.
  13. Ruszkai, Amee′ (7 December 2019). "'Liverpool struggles shaped me into player I am now' - Title-hungry Coombs back in hunt with Man City". goal.com. Goal.
  14. "Laura Coombs". mancity.com. Manchester City.
  15. "Laura Coombs: Manchester City Women midfielder signs new two-year contract". skysports.com. Sky Sports. 18 May 2021.
  16. "Coombs' England call-up for Arnold Clark Cup shows manager Wiegman's keeping open mind on World Cup squad selection". The Offside Rule. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  17. "Coombs blow hits England hopes". UEFA. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  18. Lavery, Glenn (21 October 2015). "Laura Coombs determined to grab her England chance in China". The Football Association. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  19. "England women beaten by China despite Eniola Aluko goal". BBC Sport. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  20. "Coombs shocked by first England call-up since 2015". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  21. "England squad named for World Cup". The Football Association. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  22. Lacey-Hatton, Jack (18 November 2022). "Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present". mirror. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  23. Wilkes, Louise (17 February 2023). "Man City's Laura Coombs opens up about first game back in an England shirt". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  24. Garry, Tom; Tomas, Fiona (19 February 2023). "Rachel Daly rises to occasion as England beat Italy in Arnold Clark Cup". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  25. "England Women's World Cup squad: Beth Mead left out, Beth England in". BBC Sport. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  26. "Laura Coombs and Julie Blakstad talk degrees". mancity.com. Manchester City WFC. 1 June 2022.
  27. "England - L. Coombs - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  28. Sanders, Emma (20 August 2023). "England beaten by Spain in Women's World Cup final". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  29. Sanders, Emma (6 April 2023). "England beat Brazil on penalties to win Finalissima". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  30. "Arnold Clark Cup: England hit six v Belgium to retain trophy". BBC Sport. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  31. "The winner of the PFA Vertu Motors WSL Fans' Player of the Month - December". 90min.com. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
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