We won the UEFA Women's Cup in 2007 when we became the only English side to lift a major European honour, and now have our sights set on doing it again in Saturday's Women's Champions League final.
To pay homage to those who did it first, we've taken a look back at 2007's winning squad to find out what they've been up to in the past 18 years.
Emma Byrne
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After making a record of 459 appearances for us and winning 11 league titles and nine FA Cups, Byrne joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2017 before retiring at the age of 38. She came out of retirement though in 2019 for a spell at Terassa in Spain.
She went on to be the most capped Irish player with 134 senior appearances in 21 years, and was the first women’s player inducted into the FAI Hall of Fame in 2018. She became part of the country’s coaching team in September 2023 under interim manager Eileen Gleeson, and has been an assistant coach at Southampton since February.
Mary Phillip
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Phillip won four doubles with us in four seasons, and having achieved a unique feat in lifting the FA Cup with us, Fulham and Millwall, she ended her career at Chelsea. She made history at international level, becoming the first black captain of England. Despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017, she took over as manager at Peckham Town in 2019 and became the first female manager of a cup-winning men’s side when they claimed the London Senior Trophy.
The coaching continued in 2021 with a role assisting Lydia Bedford with England women’s under-18s. She was inducted into the English Hall of Fame in October 2024.
Alex Scott
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Scott, who netted the only goal of the 2007 final, had three separate spells with us throughout her playing career, which also included stints at Birmingham City and Boston Breakers, before hanging up her boots in 2018. She won 140 caps for England and also represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympics.
Since retiring, she has become one of the most prominent faces of BBC Sport’s football coverage, presenting shows such as _Football Focus_ and _Match of the Day_, and has worked at multiple World Cups. She even took part in _Strictly Come Dancing_ in 2019, and has hosted _The One Show_.
Katie Chapman
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Like Scott, Chapman had multiple spells as an Arsenal player in central midfield, firstly between 2006 and 2010 and then between 2010 and 2013 either side of a period at Chicago Red Stars, and won two league titles as well as four FA Cups.
Chapman, who won 65 caps for England, ended her playing career with four years at Chelsea. She is now an ambassador for the Blues.
Anita Asante
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Academy graduate Asante spent a decade with us before moving to Chelsea in 2008. Her career would then take her all over America with spells at Sky Blue, Saint Louis Athletica, Chicago Red Stars, Washington Freedom, and then back to Sky Blue, before eventually returning to Chelsea after four years at Rosengard in Sweden.
Asante retired at Aston Villa and became a coach at Bristol City in 2022, helping to take the Robins up to the WSL. She also coached England's under-23s and is now a regular broadcaster and pundit for women’s football.
Jayne Ludlow
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Captain for the final, Ludlow spent 13 years with us and is our all-time highest goalscorer with 211 goals in 356 domestic league matches. After retiring, she became manager and director of Reading Women in 2013 before taking over the Wales women’s national team one year later. From 2021 to 2024, she was the technical director of Manchester City Girls’ Academy.
In 2019 Ludlow was awarded an MBE for services to women’s football in Wales. She has also held roles as Technical Leadership Expert at FIFA and Head of Sport at the University of South Wales.
Ciara Grant
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With 102 goals in 403 Gunners appearances, a haul that is second behind only Emma Byrne, Grant will always be a club legend. After 16 years of service to us, she ended her playing career with a season at Reading in 2014.
She also won 105 caps for the Republic of Ireland, and won nine league titles with us while working full-time as a development officer.
Rachel Yankey
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Yankey played 15 seasons for us over two separate spells, also featuring throughout her career for Laval Dynamites, Fulham, Birmingham, New Jersey Wildcats and Notts County.
Her playing career, which saw her win eight league titles and nine FA Cups during her time in north London, was followed by a spell in coaching, initially at London Bees in 2018, and then as head coach of Barnet’s under-18s in 2019. She’s now a broadcaster and has been awarded both an MBE and OBE for services to football.
Lianne Sanderson
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Sanderson spent six years in our academy ranks before rising through to the first team in 2003, where she would stay until 2008. She left for Chelsea and enjoyed a diverse playing career with spells at Philadelphia Independence, Espanyol, DC United, Boston Breakers, and Apollon Limassol before coming back to us in 2015.
She then went to Portland Thorns, back to Apollon Limassol, Orlando Pride, Western New York Flash, and Juventus. She’s now an analyst and commentator as part of her media career.
Julie Fleeting
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Having starred in the USA, Fleeting would have a unique story with us. She continued to work as a PE teacher in Scotland from Monday to Friday, training twice a week with Kilwinning Rangers’ under-21s before flying to London on a Sunday morning to play for us and fly back in time for school on Monday.
After leaving us, she returned to Scotland to sign for Kilwinning Ladies and then played for Celtic and Glasgow City before retiring in 2016. As well as continuing her teaching career, she's also a broadcaster and has taken part in Soccer Aid.
Karen Carney
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Like many of our 2007 winners, Carney has thrived in her media career since retiring from playing football. She played for Chicago Red Stars, Birmingham City and Chelsea after three years with us and now regularly commentates on matches.
She was also awarded an MBE in 2017 as well as an OBE in 2024 for services to association football.
Rebecca Spencer
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The only member of the 2007 winners who is still playing professionally, Jamaica international goalkeeper Spencer is on loan at Chelsea from Tottenham Hotspur.
She had three separate spells with us after coming through our academy and has also played for Nottingham Forest, Gillingham, Soyaux, Birmingham and West Ham United, and has won 19 caps for the Reggae Girlz.
Yvonne Tracy
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Part of a large Irish contingent at the club during the first decade of the new century, Tracy began her career at Lifford before moving to St Patrick’s Athletic and then spending 14 years with us, winning a domestic treble with us before departing in 2014.
At international level she won Player of the Year for the Republic of Ireland in 2002 and went on to win over 40 caps for her country.
Faye White
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Another player who was recognised with her services to sport by being appointed an MBE, White was with us from 1996 to 2013, making 300 domestic league appearances. She also held a marketing role and the club and is a qualified sports massage therapist.
More recently she has appeared on various broadcasts as a co-commentator and pundit, and has been part of our Live From N5 pitch side presentation team at Emirates Stadium.
Leanne Champ
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Champ had three spells with Millwall and played for us between 2001 and 2008. There were also stints at Chelsea, Pali Blues, Philadelphia Fever and North Jersey Valkyries, where she retired in 2013.
She joined the coaching team at Boston Breakers in 2014 where she would spend four years before spending time as an analyst and youth coach back at Chelsea.
gilly flaherty
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Another familiar face to fans of the WSL in recent years, Flaherty hung up her boots in 2023 after ending her career at Liverpool, and held the record for the most appearances in the division.
Before that, she spent four years at West Ham and four years at Chelsea following seven years with us. She has since carried out commentary duties for BBC.
Sian Larkin
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Larkin would go on to play for Chelsea from 2007 to 2009, making 24 appearances for the Blues.
Gemma Davison
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Davison is now a director at the GD Elite Football Academy, having finalised her playing career at Watford. She got all sorts of experiences under her belt throughout her career, coming through our academy and representing our senior team on four separate occasions.
There were also spells at New York Magic, Chicago Red Eleven, Buffalo Flash, Western New York Flash, Sky Blue, Liverpool, Chelsea, Reading, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.
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