Rose Reilly
(b.1955)
Association Football
Inducted in 2007
A trailblazer for women’s football, Reilly started her sporting career in Scotland – at 16 she was chosen to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games pentathlon. However she decided to move on from the athletics track and concentrate on her skills on the football field, moving to mainland Europe to further her career. Her subsequent list of achievements is incredible considering the obstacles faced by female footballers in the early ‘70s. At 17 Reilly had a trial for Rheims in France and by the age of 18 she was playing for AC Milan. She was voted best player in the victorious Italian World Cup team that played China in the final in 1983.
- Won eight Seria A league titles
- Won four Italian Cups
- Scored 45 goals in one season
- Women’s World Cup Winner 1983
- Capped 13 times for Italy as captain
- Won the Golden Boot in 1983
Image from Steve Lindridge - Ideal Images