FOR RELEASE ON: July 13, 2005
The New Jersey Wildcats have welcomed England international Rachel Unitt as their final signing of the 2005 season. Unitt was signed on last Wednesday's W-League roster freeze date and will stay with the Wildcats through the rest of the season. The talented left back arrived in the United States yesterday and will join the Wildcats for today's training match against the United States Under-21 National Team.
Unitt competes with England
With Canadian defender and Wildcats stalwart left back Janine Willis out for the season with a torn ACL knee injury, Unitt is expected to step right into the starting lineup for the Wildcats. The long-time England standout and FA Women's Premier League star brings a wealth of international experience to the field as well as a strong right foot and tough defending skills. She joins the Wildcats after a strong performance at the UEFA Euro 2005 competition last month.
"Adding Rachel is a great move for the Wildcats especially with the injury to Janine leaving us without a natural left-sided defender," said Wildcats General Manager Patric Santo Pietro, whose squad also signed another England international in Rachel Yankey last week. "We're also looking forward to having an all-England left side of the field with the two Rachels. It should be great to watch."
Unitt came up with England on the youth international level and posted 16 appearances on the Under-18 level. Since breaking in with the full England Women's National Team in 2000, the 23-year old Walsall native has 47 caps for her country. All three of her international goals have come in the past year including one in a 1-0 victory over Holland in September 2004 and two more in a 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic in front of her hometown crowd in Walsall in May 2005.
On the club level, Unitt was presented the Nationwide International Player of the Year award at the 2004 FA Women’s Football Awards while with Fulham. She started her career with the Wolverhampton Wanderers Ladies in 1997 before moving to Everton for the 2001/2002 season. She moved to Fulham in 2002 where she was teammates with Yankey and the two led the team to the treble in the season 2002/2003 with FA Women’s Cup, League Cup, and FA Women’s Premier League titles. She rejoined Everton last summer and played with them during the 2004/2005 season.
The Wildcats return to W-League action on Saturday when they travel to Manchester, NH to face the New Hampshire Lady Phantoms at 5 p.m. at Southern New Hampshire University. Wildcats fans will get their first chance to see Unitt play when the Wildcats host the Boston Renegades in their final home game of the regular season on July 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Mercer County Community College.
The RACHEL UNITT file
- Hometown: Walsall, England
- Born: June 5, 1982
- Made her debut for the England Women's National Team on August 14, 2000 in a 1-0 loss to France in an international friendly
- Has three goals in 47 appearances for England
- Scored her first international goal in England’s victory over Holland in September 2004 and also scored twice in England's 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic in May 2005
- Was part of the squad that took part in Euro 2001 in Germany
- Played in all three of England's group matches in Euro 2005
- Earned 16 caps for England on the Under-18 level
- Currently plays for Everton in the FA Women's Premier League
- Started her career with the Wolverhampton Wanderers Ladies from 1997 to 2001 before joining Everton in 2001/2002
- After two seasons with Fulham when the club went full-time professional, she moved back to Everton for the 2004/2005 season
- Won the domestic treble (FA Women's Cup, League Cup, FA Women's Premier League) with Fulham in 2002/2003
- Named the Nationwide International Player of the Year at the 2004 FA Women’s Football Awards
