Houghton will retire at the end of the season but her contributions to the women's game will continue to resonate
As England's Lionesses celebrated their stunning European Championship triumph at a packed-out Wembley Stadium, there was one player who was conspicuous by her absence.
"Taking the decision to retire is such a difficult thing to do. Whilst age comes to every player, it makes it no easier having to say the words out loud. Football has been my life; my passion and I have loved the career I have had." Indeed, Houghton's rise from the parks and playing fields of the north-east to the England captaincy will have helped inspire a generation of young girls to believe that they too can turn their footballing dreams into reality. The centre-back started her career at Sunderland, making her debut in 2002, before moving to Leeds Carnegie and then Arsenal.
"I've let the team down," she said. "I'm gutted and heartbroken. We were so close but I'm proud of everyone because we gave it everything." Though it is almost unbearably cruel that Houghton's final World Cup appearance should have ended in heartbreak, it will certainly not be her lasting legacy.
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