Stephanie Zambra
|
Zambra with Republic of Ireland in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephanie Zambra | ||
| Birth name | Stephanie Roche | ||
| Date of birth | 13 June 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Valeview Shankill FC | |||
| Cabinteely Girls | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2007 | Stella Maris | ||
| 2007–2009 | Dundalk City | ||
| 2009–2011 | Raheny United | ||
| 2011–2014 | Peamount United | (71) | |
| 2014 | ASPTT Albi | 10 | (1) |
| 2015 | Houston Dash | 2 | (0) |
| 2015–2018 | Sunderland Ladies | 26 | (2) |
| 2018–2020 | C.F. Florentia | 10 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Peamount United | ||
| 2022–2024 | Shamrock Rovers Women | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008–2022 | Republic of Ireland | 58 | (14) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 July 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 September 2022 | |||
Stephanie Zambra (née Roche; born 13 June 1989) is an Irish retired footballer who played as a striker for Shamrock Rovers of Dublin and the Republic of Ireland women's national football team. Her October 2013 goal in the Women's National League (WNL) for Peamount United was the runner-up for the 2014 FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year.
At club level Zambra played for various clubs in her native Ireland, including a successful three-year period at Peamount United from 2011 to 2014. She had short spells with Division 1 Féminine team ASPTT Albi in 2014 and National Women's Soccer League club Houston Dash in 2015. A longer stint at FA WSL club Sunderland from 2015 to 2018 was interrupted by injury and illness, before she spent a year in Italy with Florentia in 2018 and 2019. She joined Peamount United for a second time in February 2020. In December 2022, she joined newly re-formed Shamrock Rovers ahead of the 2023 season.
After winning her first senior cap in October 2008, Zambra has made over 50 appearances for the Republic of Ireland national team. She was absent for almost two years after breaking her leg in during Ireland's failed 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification campaign, but was recalled in August 2019.
Zambra stated in February 2020 that she enjoyed very good luck when her famous goal opened up wider opportunities for her, but that much of her subsequent football career has been plagued by correspondingly bad luck. She has worked for RTÉ as a television pundit, covering events including the 2018 and 2022 editions of the FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2020.