Aylesbury superstar Ellen White announces retirement after becoming European Champion

Ellen White who was born and raised in the Bucks town has announced her retirement just weeks after becoming a European champion.

This afternoon, Ellen released a statement on Twitter thanking her family and teammates for helping her reach the pinnacle of the sport.

White said: “This has been one of the hardest the decisions of my life but one that I know is right for me. This is my time to say goodbye to football and watch the next generation shine.”

The 33-year-old who attended William Harding School, was the starting striker for the England team which triumphed at the Euro 2022 Championship last month.

Prior to leading England to glory at Wembley, Ellen has enjoyed a staggeringly accomplished career, becoming the Lionesses’ all-time top scorer.

She became a household name in 2019 due to her goalscoring exploits on the biggest stage.

Ellen, finished as joint top scorer at the 2019 World Cup in France, bagging six goals in an England team that narrowly lost to eventual champions USA 2-1.

An old Bucks Herald article went viral in the aftermath of England’s historic triumph.

Before becoming part of the first England football team to win major honours since 1966, White had to overcome a lot of the typical challenges facing women hoping to breakthrough from a male dominated sport.

In 1998, a much younger Ellen, was featured on The Bucks Herald frontpage as she was kicked out of her football team which didn’t allow girls to play with boys.

Thankfully, that set back proved only temporary, as she was soon scoring goals in youth teams for footballing giants Arsenal.

It wasn’t just at international level where Ellen left her mark, in a decorated club football career she claimed 10 major trophies.

The Aylesbury woman represented some of the biggest teams in the women’s game playing for Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City.

Her inspirational exploits on the pitch has led to major recognition back in her hometown, where she is an Honorary Freewoman.

After her relentless goalscoring excellence at the last World Cup a mural was designed to showcase the England superstar.

Artwork of Ellen completing her trademark celebration can still be seen from Aylesbury High Street.