It’s rare to see a woman coaching in men’s football, let alone a woman who has 65 international caps and 22 major trophies to her name.Mary Phillip is bucking the trend, however. In fact, she has been a trailblazing force in football for years, first as a player, and now as a coach.On her 44th birthday, GiveMeSport Women takes a look at Phillip’s pioneering career in full.

Successful domestic career

Phillip, a football fanatic from an early age, began playing for Millwall Lionesses when she was just 12-years-old. She won the FA Cup and Premier League Cup with the club, before earning a move to Fulham in 2000.

At the time, Fulham were the only team offering professional contracts to players – Phillip was among the group of 16 who become the UK’s first full-time female footballers.

She soon became the club captain at Fulham, and lifted the 2003 FA Cup in front of 10,000 fans at Selhurst Park. In total, Phillip won eight titles with The Cottagers.

Her next move was to Arsenal, where she played a key part in the club’s quadruple-winning 2006-2007 season. This included victory in the UEFA Women's Cup, now known as the Champions League.

Phillip spent four years with the Gunners, earning 12 titles in total, before ending her playing career with a season at Chelsea.

NOTTINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 07: Mary Phillip of Arsenal battles with Natasha Dowie of Charlton during the FA Womens Cup final sponsored by E.ON match between Arsenal and Charlton Athletic at the City Ground on May 7, 2007 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

England’s first black female captain

Phillip also enjoyed a successful career on the international stage, despite spending four years out of the England set-up while she gave birth to her two sons.

In fact, she played at her first Women’s World Cup while four months pregnant. At 18, it was an unexpected call-up, but Phillip went on to make 65 caps and appear at the 2007 World Cup too.

Phillip captained England on a number of occasions, becoming the women’s national team’s first ever black captain. She revealed to BBC Sport in 2020 that she had only just become aware of the accolade.

"Obviously England had some great black players who came through so I assumed one of them had held the captaincy, but it's a great honour," she said.

CHENGDU, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 17: Mary Phillip of England in action during the Group A Women's World Cup 2007 match between England and Argentina at Chengdu Sports Centre Stadium on September 17, 2007 in Chengdu, China. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Transformation into a trailblazing coach

Following her retirement as a player, Phillip entered the world of coaching. Having coached the youth teams at Peckham Town since the early 2000s, she started her UEFA A Licence in 2016.

In 2019, Phillip became the manager of the senior team, and guided them to London FA Senior Trophy glory in the same season. She became the first female manager to lead a men's side to cup success in England.

Phillip is now taking part in the FA’s Elite Coach Placement Programme, which aims to create opportunities for coaches from under-represented groups to work with the England national teams.

As part of the programme, Phillip will be helping Lydia Bedford coach the England Women's under-18 team.

Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis

Phillip’s post-playing career has not all been plain sailing, however. In 2017, as she was completing her A Licence, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

She is receiving drug treatment for the illness, and has not let it impact her work as a coach.

Phillip told the Independent in 2020 that she refused to let her MS diagnosis become a barrier.

“Until I get to a point where it stops me in my footsteps and literally refuses to let me do anything, I’m going to keep going as much as I can,” she said. “I want to keep proving to myself that I can do things.

“I can recall growing up I was always told you shouldn’t be doing this and you shouldn’t be doing that, and girls can’t do this and girls shouldn’t be doing that. And you’re never going to do this, and you’re not going to be able to do that.

“And I was like I can. I want to, and I can.”