Steph Houghton is an English footballer currently playing for the women’s super league club Manchester City and was Captain of the England Women’s National Team.
Stephanie Jayne Houghton, a name quite popular in the football world, started her footballing career at Sunderland FC.
She debuted for the National Team in March 2007. She came into the limelight after her stunning performance for the team at the London Olympics 2012 scoring three goals despite being a Center Back.
After the Order of the British Empire appointed her, Steph was one of widely recognized footballer of English origin.
Also, she was honored with the 2016 New Year Honours for the service of football in Britain.
Before we learn more about this rising female footballer, let’s check quick facts about her:
Steph Houghton | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Stephanie Jayne Houghton |
| Birth Date | April 23, 1988 |
| Birth Place | Durham, England, Great Britain |
| Nick Name | Steph |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | British |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Schooling from South Hetton Primary School |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Father’s Name | Len Houghton |
| Mother’s Name | Amanda Houghton |
| Siblings | Stuart Houghton (Brother) |
| Age | 35 Years Old |
| Height | 5′ 9″ (1.74 m) |
| Weight | 62 Kg (136.6 lbs) |
| Hair Color | Blonde White |
| Eye Color | Light Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Football Player |
| Professional Career Seasons | 15 FA Women’s Premier League |
| Active Years in Football | 20 Years |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Husband’s Name | Stephen Darby |
| Kids | Jasper (Son) |
| Net Worth | $1 – $1.5 Million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Book |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Stephen Houghton | Early Life, Parents, and Education
Stephanie Jayne Houghton was born in Durham, England, on April 23, 1988. Her father, Len Houghton, was also involved in football.
Her mother, Amanda Houghton, worked in Durham during her childhood.
Houghton says her father is the biggest motivation. She decided to become a football player because of him, and Len supported her at every stage.
She has one younger brother, Stuart Houghton.
Steph started to play football when she was five years old. She played for the school’s team.
She joined Durham’s local school – South Hetton Primary School, where she finished primary schooling.
Houghton graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Sports Science.
She came through the Sunderland Center of Excellence before she was listed on the Sunderland First Team in 2005.
Stephen Houghton | Age, Height, and Weight
Houghton is 5 feet 9 inches (1.74 m) tall. She is a perfect defender for the football team. Her height is a plus advantage for stopping the through balls and making clearances.
Steph has strong legs; she can pass long-through balls directly toward the midfielder or left-wing forward. She is also a good dribbler and quite a scorer too.
Houghton weighs around 62 kilograms (136.6 pounds). She is a health-conscious footballer who maintains a strict diet schedule.
At the age of 35, Stephanie is playing fair – and not planning any retirement. She wants to continue football for more years.
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Steph Houghton | Football Career
From her childhood, Steph had a passion for football. Her father took her to a local training camp.
But during those times, it was tough for a woman to play football openly.
Steph had struggled a lot. There were few training camps for women in the U.K. During the old times, women’s football professionalism was not celebrated.
A limited number of audiences watched female football.
Club Career
Despite many sacrifices, Houghton was successful in entering Sunderland A.F.C Ladies in her youth career. It was a proud moment for her dad.
She was amongst the first 17 female players who gained a contract from The Football Association (FA).
In 2002, she joined Sunderland. After that, the club appointed Stephanie as the player of the full team. Stephanie helped the club to win Northern Division in 2005. It was a good year for her because she won the FA Young Player of the Year Award.
In 2006, when Sunderland was relegated to the second division in the league, Steph was approached by the Leeds United Ladies to play professional football in the first division.
While playing with Leeds United Ladies, Houghton scored nine goals in 45 appearances. As a Center Back, it is above average statistics.
She guided the club to win FA Women’s Premier League Cup – the most prestigious cup for women’s clubs.
After that, she joined Arsenal FC in August 2010. Steph played in the club for three years.
During her 74 appearances for the club, she scored 11 goals. She has also provided several assists to win important games.
Further, Houghton decided not to extend the contract with Arsenal – and moved to Manchester City.
Since 2014, she has agreed on multiple extension contracts, keeping her in the club until 2022. Although her previous contract expired, the club has not released her and is reported to extend her stay at the club.
She is reported to have made over 200 appearances for Manchester City and was the first player to reach 100 Women’s Super League Wins.
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International Career
Houghton started to play for England when she was 16 years old. The U16 coach of England decided to give her school training.
In 2006, a former Chelsea player, Katie Chapman, withdrew from England’s squad due to illness. It was a golden opportunity for Houghton.
The coach included her in the squad list – but not in the starting XI.
However, Steph made her debut against Russia in 2006. England defeated Russia with a massive 6-0 lead. Since then, Steph has successfully played more than 131 games representing her nation.
In the next match, Steph played as a full-time player in a 1-0 win over Scotland.
She suffered an injury that forced her to miss the 2009 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China and UEFA Women’s Euro 2009 in Finland.
Further, Houghton played in all three games in UEFA Women’s Euro 2013. After that, the team’s management appointed her as a full-time member.
In January 2014, England’s team decided to make her the new captain. In her first appearance as a captain, England played a 1-1 draw against Norway.
During the 2015 World Cup, Stephanie scored her first-ever World Cup goal. Under her captaincy, She led England to their first-ever semi-finals in World Cup.
Since then, Houghton has also played in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Sadly, England did not progress much during the tournament.
Steph also represented team Great Britain during the 2012 London Olympics. She played from the Left Back.
Also, she broke the record for scoring the most goals from an LB position in all three games.
Overall, Steph Houghton has scored 16 goals for England’s National Team. She scored a goal against Cameroon in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
Injuries
As a footballer, Steph Houghton also suffered many injuries during her career. The first significant injury she suffered was during the 2007 World Cup.
While playing a match against Scotland, her leg broke. She had to go for an extended treatment – and missed the entire World Cup.
After some months, Houghton recovered and decided to play again. However, in 2009, she suffered a cruciate ligament injury, which took months to recover. She missed the Euro 2009.
Again, she was tackled recklessly during the 2019 World Cup match against Cameroon. Her ankle smashed against the player of Cameroon.
It also affected Steph’s gameplay against other teams.
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Awards and Achievements
Steph Houghton has received several awards and achievements during her football career. Some of them are as follows:
CLUB
- 2009 FA Women’s Premier League Cup
- FA WSL (Three Times)
- FA WSL Cup (Seven Times)
- 2016 New Years Honour
- FA Women’s Cup (Five Times)
Nationals
- Cyprus Cup (Three Times)
- FIFA Women’s World Cup [Third Place]
- SheBelieves Cup
Steph Houghton | Relationship, Husband & Kids
Houghton married the former Bolton Wanderers defender Stephen Darby on June 21, 2018. Before that, they had a love affair for more than five years.
Their marriage ceremony was grand – and several football stars were invited to the Party. The couple is happily living together.
They have a cute son Jasper. There is no news of them getting separated.
Her husband, Stephen Darby (born on 6th October 1988), was a professional football player who played as a right-back. However, in 2018, he was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease which caused him to retire from the game.
He played for Liverpool, Swindon Town, Notts County, Rochdale, Bradford City, and Bolton Wanderers during his football career.
Houghton also has a cute dog she adopted from a local foster care.
Eating Regimen And Work Ethics
Houghton is a food lover. She loves eggs and eats foods that contribute to her fitness.
Throughout the lockdown, she maintained her fitness by turning her chill room into a home gym.
Likewise, she said that routine and schedule were very important for her to work out daily.
Similarly, she has also been advised to take it slow, have some mental health days, go on long walks, try something new and eat nutritious food to maintain fitness during the lockdown.
The footballer serves as an inspiration to girls all over the world that if you can dream it, you can make it happen.
Steph Houghton | Net Worth, Salary & Wage
Stephanie is a star player in Women’s football. Different brands highly support her.
Furthermore, Steph signed contracts for three significant clubs during her career.
Houghton currently plays for the richest club in the world. She earns more than $30,190 per week. She is one of the highest-paid women footballers in the world.
By calculating her overall earnings, Steph’s net worth is estimated to be $1-$1.5 million.
Further, Nike, Virgin Media, and Fantastic Media have partnered with Houghton. They also give her a considerable sum for advertisements.
Besides, Steph has never revealed her assets. There are no pictures of luxurious items on Social Media.
Social Media | Presence
Stephanie is a social media geek. She likes to stay updated through Twitter and Instagram.
Twitter: 155.3K Followers
Instagram: 249K Followers
But she doesn’t prefer using Facebook.
Steph Houghton | Popularity
Steph’s popularity graph is demonstrated below;
Steph Houghton | FAQs
Why is Steph Houghton not playing?
Houghton suffered from a torn Achilles tendon and underwent surgery in September 2021, which was the reason for her absence on the ground.
Why is Steph Houghton no longer England Caption?
After suffering multiple injuries over the year, she was declared not ready to compete by the manager Sarina Wiegman.
What is Steph Houghton’s job?
Steph is a professional football player who currently plays for Manchester City.
Why did Steph Houghton get an MBE?
Houghton was appointed a Member of the British Empire’s Order (MBE) because of her football faithfulness.
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