Rose Reilly

Rose Reilly (born 1955) was a Scottish-born women's association football player, who represented the Italian women's football team.

Playing career

Brought up in Stewarton in East Ayrshire, Scotland, Reilly began her footballing career at age seven with local boys' club Stewarton United. Despite impressing from an early age and attracting the interest of scouts from Glasgow side Celtic [cite web |url=http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/comment/article2390851.ece |title=How The Original Gregory's Girl Lived Her Dream of Dreams |accessdate=2007-03-25 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] , rules prohibiting female players from playing in professional football in the United Kingdom encouraged Reilly to move to French professional ladies' side Reims in 1972. [cite web |url=http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/comment/article2390851.ece |title=How The Original Gregory's Girl Lived Her Dream of Dreams |accessdate=2007-03-25 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

After a six month spell with Reims, Reilly was bought by A.C. Milan and played for the ladies professional team for four years, winning two league titles in the process (of an eventual 8 she was to win with the Milan side). Following on from her initial spell with Milan, Reilly continued to play in Italian football well into her 40's, including spells with the ladies' sides of Catania and Lecce. [cite web |url=http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/comment/article2390851.ece |title=How The Original Gregory's Girl Lived Her Dream of Dreams |accessdate=2007-03-25 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=|archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Despite being of Scottish descent and having no formal links to Italy prior to her move to A.C. Milan, Reilly was selected for the Italian women's national team and was voted the best player in the Italian team which won the (then unofficial) women's world cup in 1983. [cite web |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football-news/scottish-football/2007/11/13/scot-who-won-the-world-cup-with-italy-86908-20099427/ |title=Scot Who Won the World Cup With Italy |accessdate=2007-11-18 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] On the 12th March 2007, Reilly was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame with a place in the SFA's Football Hall of Fame following in November of that year.

References