Rianna Jarrett

Rianna Lauren Jarrett (born 5 July 1994) is an Irish professional footballer who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion of the English FA WSL, and for the Republic of Ireland women's national football team. A prolific forward, Jarrett was the Women's National League (WNL) Player of the Season in 2018 and 2019.

Rianna Jarrett
Personal information
Full name Rianna Lauren Jarrett[1]
Date of birth (1994-07-05) 5 July 1994
Place of birth Wexford, Ireland[2]
Height 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[3]
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Brighton & Hove Albion
Number 23
Youth career
North End United
Curracloe United
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014 UT Martin Skyhawks 20 (17)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2020 Wexford Youths (71)
2020– Brighton & Hove Albion 9 (1)
National team‡
2010-2011 Republic of Ireland U17 6 (1)
2012-2013 Republic of Ireland U19 11 (3)
2016– Republic of Ireland 13 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21 January 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 September 2020

Early life

Jarrett's mother Doreen is from Wexford and had met her Jamaican father David while living in England. The family returned to Wexford and Jarrett began playing football for North End United's boys' team alongside her twin brother Jordan and their cousin Robin Dempsey. She was forced to leave the boys' team and briefly played for Curracloe, as well as for a Wexford League select team who entered the FAI Women's Cup.[4]

UT Martin Skyhawks

Jarrett received an athletic scholarship from the University of Tennessee at Martin to play college soccer for their UT Martin Skyhawks in 2014. Her 17 goals set a new school record and she won the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Season.[5] After suffering a serious knee injury in January 2015 Jarrett quit her American studies, switching to Institute of Technology, Carlow and taking a job with Equifax in Wexford.[6]

Club career

Wexford Youths

Jarrett joined Wexford Youths for the inaugural Women's National League season in 2011–12.

In 2018 Jarrett scored 27 goals for Wexford Youths and was named WNL Player of the Season as the club won a Treble.[7] In June 2019 she scored five times in Wexford Youths' 6–2 win at Galway WFC, amidst reports that her "sensational form" had brought her to "the verge of a step up in level".[8] She finished the 2019 WNL season as Top Goalscorer and retained her Player of the Season award.[9]

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 23 January 2020, Jarrett signed a six-month contract with English FA WSL club Brighton & Hove Albion.[10] In her debut for Brighton she scored two goals against Crystal Palace in the FA Women's Cup. The season was ended shortly afterwards due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Jarrett signed an extension to her Brighton contract in July 2020.[11]

International career

In 2010, Jarrett was a member of the Republic of Ireland U-17 squad[12] who were runners-up in the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship and quarter-finalists in the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[13][14]

Jarrett won her first cap for the senior Republic of Ireland national team in March 2016, in a 1–1 draw with Italy at the 2016 Cyprus Cup. She substituted in for Megan Connolly, but nine minutes later suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury.[15] It was the third such injury of Jarrett's young career, following occasions in April 2013 and January 2015.[16]

In May 2018, Ireland coach Colin Bell recalled Jarrett to the squad for a FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying fixture against Norway.[17] Ireland were eliminated after losing in Stavanger but Jarrett won her second cap as an 83rd-minute substitute.[18]

She scored her first international goal on 8 October 2019, in Ireland's 3–2 UEFA Women's Euro 2021 qualifying Group I win over Ukraine at Tallaght Stadium.[19]

References
  1. "Match Report Mex-IRL 0:0" (PDF). 2017 Summer Universiade. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  2. "Rianna Jarrett - Forward". Extratime.ie. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  3. "List of Players - Republic of Ireland" (PDF). FIFA. 6 September 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  4. Byrne, Pádraig (16 February 2019). "Soccer star Rianna's back on top following her injury woes". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  5. "Phil McNamara". University of Tennessee at Martin. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  6. Fennessy, Paul (30 August 2018). "After 3 career-threatening injuries, in-form Ireland star feeling like 'the old Rianna' again". The42.ie. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  7. Gallagher, Aaron (10 November 2018). "Ireland striker Jarrett named Player of the Year after scoring 27 goals during injury-hit season". The42.ie. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  8. "Rampant Rianna nets five". Wexford People. 15 June 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  9. Farrell, Sinead (17 November 2019). "Ireland star striker Jarrett caps off impressive season with Player of the Year award". The42.ie. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  10. "Albion sign international striker Jarrett". www.brightonandhovealbion.com.
  11. "Republic of Ireland international Jarrett signs new contract with Brighton". The42.ie. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  12. "Women's U17 Player Profiles". Football Association of Ireland. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  13. "King announces 21 player squad for FIFA U17 World Cup". Football Association of Ireland. 24 August 2010. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  14. "Republic of Ireland – Squad List". FIFA. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  15. Dollery, Paul (3 June 2018). "Ireland striker's journey back to international football after three ACL injuries by the age of 21". The42.ie. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  16. Griffin, Niamh (5 July 2018). "Rianna Jarrett has a ball at her feet after third ACL injury". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  17. Locke, Cian (31 May 2018). "Rianna back under Ireland umbrella". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  18. Fallon, John (30 August 2018). "Ireland trio are primed for debuts". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 September 2020. Injuries have contributed to attacker Jarrett being slow to fulfil the potential she displayed at the 2010 Under-17 World Cup but, having won her second cap last time out in Norway, the 24-year-old should get the nod.
  19. "A dream come true for Rianna Jarrett at Tallaght". RTÉ Sport. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2020.


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