It was a cold Thursday night at Loftus Road in March 2010 when Ellen White made her England debut. On as a substitute for Dunia Susi in the 62nd minute, the Aylesbury-born striker scored in stoppage time to seal a 3-0 win over Austria.
Eleven years later, White, 32, is set for her 100th cap against the same opponents on Saturday afternoon and is now just two goals away from matching Kelly Smith’s all-time record of 46.
Her achievements are even more impressive given she has not always played as a central striker for England and battled back from two serious knee injuries earlier in her career.
Ellen White will win her 100th cap for England on Saturday afternoon against Austria
White's 'googles' celebration became a sensation at the 2019 Women's World Cup
Of the 44 goals White has scored, her best strike is the 22-yard lob against Japan in the 2011 World Cup.
But it was eight years later, at the 2019 World Cup, where she cemented her place as one of the country’s best.
Her six goals in six games saw her finish as joint top scorer alongside America’s Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan and her famous ‘goggles’ celebration, which was a nod to Cologne striker Anthony Modeste, saw her become a household name.
As White edges closer to becoming England’s all-time leading scorer, and ahead of her 100th cap, Sportsmail spoke to some of the people who know her best.
She finished the tournament as joint top scorer alongside Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan
Phil Neville (England manager, 2018-2021)
‘Ellen is the best No 9 in world football, that’s what I need to say first and foremost. When I came into the England job, she had been shifted around in a few different positions.
'She works harder than anyone else and she just wanted to play. But we said to her: stay between the posts, try and become a killer like Ruud van Nistelrooy or Alan Shearer.
‘The way she took that on board speaks volumes about her. It’s probably the only time I ever needed to speak her because she just gets on with her work without any fuss.
Former England manager Phil Neville believes White is the best striker in women's football
'If there was a game in which I wasn’t going to play her, there was never any dramas. It was always “fine, no problem.” You knew she would be ready to go. You would tell her something once and that would be it.
‘Watch her in the games against the very best teams – she comes alive, as all the big game players do. In the World Cup, she was absolutely brilliant.
‘Ellen doesn’t like all the razzamatazz, there are no frills about her life. She does her job simply, she lives her life simply; her finishing is simple, she plays the game in a simple way.
‘But I would say, without question, she is in the top five of the players who I have managed in both codes. She easily gets in there. I’m absolutely delighted for her, she deserves every tribute that comes her way.’
White was part of the Lionesses team that reached the 2019 Women's World Cup semifinal
Rick Passmoor (Manager Leeds Carnegie 2007-2010, Notts County Ladies 2013-2017)
When White made her international debut in 2010, her manager at Leeds Carnegie, Rick Passmoor, predicted she would go on to be England’s first-choice striker for years to come - he was not wrong.
‘My thoughts were, with the old guard now changing under Hope (Powell) - the likes of Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey, who were now just coming to the latter age but not yet finished, I could see that probably for the next decade that she would be the next No 9 for England for many years to come and she’s proven to be.’
Passmoor has helped develop the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Danny Rose and Fabian Delph but says he is especially proud to have worked with the Lionesses’ striker.
‘Everyone that has worked with her, from the coaches to her team-mates, will have immense pride and sometimes
