A fearless leader, a prolific goalscorer – and a serial trophy winner for club and country – Lioness Bethany England has arrived in South London to continue her outstanding career with Crystal Palace Women.
With an incredible 10 trophies to her name, and three WSL individual accolades, England’s sensational story is set to continue with the Eagles at the highest level of the domestic game, after the striker put pen-to-paper with Palace today.
Find out more about England’s career below, and secure your 2026/27 Palace Women's Season Ticket now, with prices from just £50!
Born and raised in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England’s early footballing years are perhaps best encapsulated by a plaque installed at her first-ever grassroots club, Junior Tykes FC, after the striker’s success with her country at the European Championships back in 2022; it reads “Where Greatness Is Made.”
One of three sisters, England, like many of her future teammates, and her twin sister Laura were invited to play for Junior Tykes’ boys team initially, which they did for several years, before both were scouted to join Sheffield United girls’ Centre of Excellence.
After three years with the Blades’ girls team, England and her sister moved into their academy side, before the duo’s careers separated after Laura moved into athletics and Bethany continued her career at 16 with Doncaster Belles, where she broke through into adult women’s football within a year.
Citing the likes of Steven Gerrard and fellow forward Rachel Yankey as her idols, England earned rave reviews in her early academy years from her youth coaches.
But she also maintained an interest in career options elsewhere, completing a Higher Education Certificate in legal studies through a scholarship at BPP University in Shepherd's Bush, with an eye on specialising in family law, whilst working at a fish and chip shop and a bakery, among other jobs, to financially support her career.
Determined, sharp and determined to lead herself towards a bright future, England’s drive has never been anything other than admirable.
England was joined at Doncaster Belles with fellow future Lioness legend Mille Bright, whom she had previously come through the academy ranks with at Sheffield United.
It did not take long for the fledgling forward’s talents to come into their own in the WSL, breaking into the Belles’ first-team at the age of 16 – with a debut in July 2011 – while also finishing her A-Levels.
A short-term loan at Sheffield Wednesday in autumn 2011 saw her off the mark for professional goals, with two in four appearances.
The attacker, often played out wide at that stage, would go on to make nearly 100 appearances for Doncaster and score 27 times, helping the club to bounce back to the WSL after relegation with 14 goals in their promotion-winning campaign.
She also attracted interest at international level with a call-up for the Under-19s squad – scoring with her first touch at that level against the Netherlands. England goalscorer by name, England goalscorer by nature.
England’s talents saw her recruited by reigning WSL champions Chelsea ahead of the 2016 top-flight season, but she was often deployed in a variety of positions – including midfield and wing-back – in her early West London years.
A loan move to Liverpool in 2017/18 helped her demonstrate her proficiency in front of goal, however, and she finished the season as one of the most feared – and tenacious – forwards in the league, with 10 strikes in 16 matches, the joint-third highest total in the top-flight.
Returning to Chelsea ahead of the 2018/19 season, England’s elite talent was primed to shine, and did so with 12 goals in 18 matches, again the third-best total in the league. In August 2019, she earned her first senior England call-up – for friendlies against Belgium and Norway – and, two months later, scored her first goal for her country as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat to Brazil.
The following campaign, England scored a remarkable 21 times in all competitions – including a match-winning brace in the Continental League Cup Final, a 2-1 win over Arsenal at the City Ground, capped with a 92nd-minute winner – to lift silverware, as well as a WSL title.
She also netted in nine consecutive WSL games between November 2019 and February 2020 – a record to this day.
On an individual basis, England was named the league's Player of the Season, as well as both Chelsea’s and the PFA’s; twice named Player of the Month; and was the country’s top scorer in all competitions across the top two divisions, with Blues boss Emma Hayes hailing her as “the best English No. 9 in the country.”
Injuries limited England’s appearances total in the latter stages of her Chelsea career, but she departed West London in January 2023 with a sensational 74 goals in 164 appearances for the Blues, as well as nine – including four league titles and two FA Cups – major trophies to her name, indicative of the forward’s major talent.
Having been involved with England’s Women’s team since her initial breakthrough, impressing at the SheBelieves Cup under Phil Neville, England was duly included in Sarina Wiegman’s squad which ultimately went on to win the 2022 UEFA European Championships at Wembley by defeating Germany after extra-time.
A year later, the forward continued to thrive on the international stage, making five appearances at the 2023 FIFA World Cup Finals in Australia and New Zealand as Wiegman’s side became only the second-ever England team to reach a FIFA World Cup Final – and first since 1966.
Among those appearances was a late involvement as a substitute in the tournament’s Final, as England ultimately lost out to Spain in Sydney.
Joining a Tottenham team in eighth place in January 2023, in what was widely reported to be a British record transfer fee, it didn’t take long for England to begin doing what she does best: finding the back of the net.
The forward scored on her debut against Aston Villa, and then again in the following two games against Manchester United – her first goal at the Totteham Hotspur Stadium – and former club Chelsea.
With 13 goals in her first 14 games in all competitions, England’s total was the third-best in the WSL that season and helped Tottenham secure their top-flight status, earning her new club’s Player of the Season award after playing for just half-a-campaign in North London.
England was appointed Tottenham’s captain at the beginning of the following season, leading her team to a first-ever win over local rivals Arsenal in 2023/24.
She scored three times in the FA Cup that season en route to helping the Lilywhites to a first-ever Final in the competition – including a brace in a 3-2 comeback against former club Sheffield United in the fourth round, and a last-minute equaliser against Manchester City in the quarter-finals – before defeat to Manchester United at Wembley.
Bethany netted 38 goals during her spell in North London, with 32 of those coming in the WSL, to become Tottenham’s all-time leading goalscorer in the competition.
In total, the prolific striker left Spurs this summer having scored 87 WSL goals – a tally surpassed only by Manchester City’s Vivianne Miedema (90) in the competition's history.
England’s league appearances with the Lilywhites also saw her surpass the 200 mark in the WSL – becoming only the sixth player to do so; she is one of only four players to score a ‘perfect’ hat-trick in the WSL; and she also became the first player to score over 25 goals with two different teams in the competition.
Now, wearing Palace’s No. 9 shirt, she will have the opportunity to do so with a third club.
Season Tickets remain on general sale for Crystal Palace Women’s return to the WSL in 2026/27.
With Palace preparing to welcome Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and many others to South London, secure your spot now for the season, with prices from just £50!