1. Overview
Sarah Francis Wiltshire (born 7 July 1991) is a Welsh professional footballer. She primarily plays as a midfielder or forward. Her career has spanned numerous clubs in the English women's football system, including prominent spells with Arsenal, Watford, Yeovil Town, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur, before joining Cambridge United. Wiltshire has also represented England at the youth international level and the Wales women's national football team at the senior level. Her career journey includes notable transfers, periods of significant scoring, and a temporary break from the sport for personal reasons.
2. Early Life and Background
Sarah Francis Wiltshire was born on 7 July 1991. As a native of Wales, she established her Welsh nationality early in her career. Her path into professional football began at a young age within the English football system.
3. Club Career
Sarah Wiltshire's professional club career began in her mid-teens and saw her play for a variety of clubs across different divisions of English women's football, marked by periods of strong performance, transfers, and a temporary hiatus.
3.1. Early Career
Wiltshire made her first team debut for Arsenal at the age of 15, appearing in a match against Leeds in April 2007. After her time at Arsenal, she played for Watford from 2008 to 2014, where she spent her formative years as a professional footballer.
3.2. Transfers and Key Spells
On 12 July 2014, Wiltshire signed for FA WSL 2 side Yeovil Town, transferring from Watford Ladies. Her initial period with Yeovil was highly productive, as she scored 10 goals in just 11 league games. This impressive performance led her to sign a professional contract with FA WSL 1 club Manchester City on 5 January 2015. However, her spell at Manchester City was brief, with only one appearance before she re-signed for Yeovil Town in June 2015.
In July 2016, Wiltshire announced a temporary break from football due to pregnancy. She returned to Yeovil Town in April 2017, ahead of the FA WSL Spring Series. On 11 July 2017, she departed Yeovil again, citing an inability to commit to the travel required for training. Subsequently, on 13 July 2017, she signed for newly promoted FA WSL 2 side Tottenham Hotspur. In her second season with Tottenham, the team achieved a second-place finish in the 2018-19 FA Women's Championship, earning promotion to the WSL. Despite this success, Wiltshire was one of 11 players released by the club in July 2019 as they prepared for their debut season as a top-flight professional team.
Following her departure from Tottenham Hotspur, Wiltshire began a third spell at Yeovil Town, competing in the FA Women's National League South. After this, she spent two seasons with Watford, marking her return to the club for the first time since 2014. Her most recent move saw her sign for Cambridge United in August 2022, rejoining the club for the first time since a loan spell in 2017.
4. International Career
Wiltshire was a youth international for England, playing for the England youth national teams from 2007 to 2008. She later represented Wales at the senior level, playing for the Wales women's national football team from 2012 until her last cap in 2015.
5. Personal Life
In July 2016, Sarah Wiltshire temporarily stepped away from her professional football career due to pregnancy. She returned to play in April 2017 after giving birth to her first child.