‘ Ray’ Yankey had a grand plan
Smashing Peter Shilton’s England appearance record was no easy task – the former Arsenal winger even had to disguise her identity
Is it true you previously masqueraded as a boy named Ray, so that you could play in a boys’ team?
I was eight years old when I started playing football with the lads on my estate in South Kilburn – there weren’t many girls who were really into the game. Two of my mates were joining a boys’ side and I wanted to join too, because I knew I was good enough. One day, they went to get their haircut, so I went with them. The hairdresser asked if I wanted my hair cut, I said yes, and the next thing I knew I was having my head shaved! I was always a tomboy, so looking like a lad wasn’t a big issue. I trialled for the team and got picked!
Did any of the team know you were a girl?
No one had a clue apart from my two friends and the manager. He knew from day one! He used to give me my kit in advance, so I could either just turn up wearing my kit or go to the toilets and get changed before the lads saw me. My football ability helped to cover it up. The way I ran, moved and played meant no one questioned me, although once my mate forgot and called me Rachel! But I was just as good as the boys. It was only when we got to a cup final that a boy on the opposing side told the referee I was a girl, so I had to leave the pitch. Our manager still tried to protect me and said it was his fault.
What did your mum say when she realised you’d had your head shaved?
She said, “Er OK, don’t do that…” But I would do it anyway! My mum knew I loved football and supported me – people were telling her that I shouldn’t be playing, but she protected me from a lot of things.
You went on to have an amazing career at Arsenal over two spells with the Gunners. Which moments stand out?
There are so many to name! In 2007, we won the quadruple – that was such an incredible feeling. No male or female team had done it before. I’d been a big Arsenal fan my entire life, so to play for the team you love, there’s nothing quite like it. I joined them from Mill Hill United, literally played one game for the reserves and then went straight into the first team. Some people thought I would fail, but I showed that if you want it badly enough, it will happen. My idol was Ian Wright, so when I signed for the club it was like, ‘ I’m playing for the same team as my idol!’ I could relate to Ian – he showed real emotions out on the pitch. He sulked if they didn’t win, but when he scored you could see how happy he was. Someone told me that I was more like Ryan Giggs – a left- footer playing on the left wing. That was a great compliment, too!
You won a remarkable 11 FA Cups. Did you ever get bored of winning them?
I won nine at Arsenal and two with Fulham. When you’re winning titles, it doesn’t matter if it’s a new trophy or the same one – I could never have got bored of that.
You spent four years at Fulham in between the Arsenal spells. Was that a good period?
It was great. Arsenal were semi- professional back then, but Mohamed Al- Fayed saw how huge football was in America and decided to back the women’s team at Fulham. He knew how special it would be when a professional league started here, but the FA backed out so unfortunately it didn’t happen at that stage.
What are your highlights from an England career that spanned 16 years?
I’ll kick off with my debut against Scotland in 1997 – I scored, we won 4- 0, and I can’t even begin to describe that feeling. My 100th cap, in 2010, was a real achievement for me, too. I was dropped for the Euros in 2009 and the media said I’d never play for England again, when it was suggested my application and attitude weren’t right. I found it quite hurtful. I hadn’t had any disciplinary issues and was shocked to be left out [ as England went on to reach the final against Germany], but I was recalled soon after and won a lot more caps.
In 2013, you broke Peter Shilton’s record of 125 England caps – have you ever had the chance to speak to him about it?
I met him once – he gave me an award and was super nice. Some people at the time said it didn’t really count because I played for the women’s team, but it makes no difference if it’s the men’s team or the women’s.
Did you mind when Fara Williams overtook your tally of 129 in 2014? She’s since gone past 170 Lionesses appearances...
I’m so proud of Fara – watching her grow as a player was brilliant. To be honest, with the amount of matches that the women’s team play these days, compared to when I played, my record was going to be broken!
What was it like representing Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics?
To get an opportunity like that was a surreal moment – it’s an experience I cherish. For the final group game against Brazil at Wembley, the turnout [ 70,000] was like a men’s game. Hanging around in the Olympic Park with top athletes from other sports was fantastic, too – the current team will have such an amazing time in Japan this year. I’d tell them to soak up the atmosphere, create relationships with different sports, and enjoy the moment.
Your playing days came to an end in 2016. Have you missed football?
A lot has changed for me. I’m now a mother, so my time is taken up with my daughter and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Everything comes to an end, but I’ll always miss playing.
You briefly managed London Bees in 2019. Will you return to management?
I went to London Bees to finish my A Licence, and ended up taking charge of the team! But it worked well with my schedule at that time and taught me a lot, even though our results didn’t look too good on paper. I will return to management at some point. They did ask me to do this season as well, but it just didn’t fit in with my other stuff.
Who did we have on Saturday? Wimbledon. For 48 hours, our lads were filing their studs and chalking their elbows – Fash was going to get it. I remember Mick Kennedy tackling him straight after kick- off, two- footed round the neck! As you go off the pitch at Fratton Park, you walk down some stairs. Billy Gilbert was in front of Fash and I saw him go down. I thought Fash had given Billy a little dig, so I jumped on Fash’s back and gave him a dig. There was a 22- man brawl inside the tunnel. Alan Ball came back into the dressing room and was fuming, saying, “Who started that?” I owned up, saying, “Fash hit Billy, so I stuck up for him.” Billy said, “What are you talking about? I slipped on the stairs!”
What was it like scoring four goals on your Newcastle debut against Leeds?
Brilliant. I became an instant hero. That night, I was staying at a Holiday Inn, my dad was there and we had a few drinks. It got to 2am and the toilets were two floors down. There were three lifts, but two weren’t working and someone had put a pot plant next to the lift. I thought, ‘ F** k this, I can’t wait’ and started peeing in the pot. The manager of the hotel came over, on my shoulder like a copper. He said, “Micky, if you score another four goals next week, bonny lad, you can have a s** t in that pot!” It could only happen in Newcastle – I’d be arrested anywhere else! I spent three years there and it was special. People never forget you. I can travel anywhere in the world and be recognised by Geordies. That was my happiest time as a footballer.
Why did you leave when Kevin Keegan took over in 1992?
We just had a difference of opinion. I thought I should have been in the team; Kev thought I shouldn’t… [ Laughs] We had a few words – it was his first job, he used to take everything to heart and we fell out. On three occasions, he put me back in the team, I scored, and he still dropped me for the next game. I thought, ‘ He’s taking the piss’, so I said to him, “Look, I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.” He said, “You’re going,” then he literally sent me to Coventry! There’s no animosity, though – I’ve met him a few times since, and he was my hero growing up in Liverpool.
Is it true that, a few weeks before joining Coventry, you’d bet on them to go down?
Yeah – they’d been in the top flight for 26 or 27 years, but every season were favourites to go down. They were around 8/ 1, so I backed them. Bobby Gould gave me a call and said, “You’ll get the goals to keep us up,” but then I took my wallet out and I’d bet on them to go down! I put that right, because I still hold two Premier League records: from my debut, I scored in my first six games, and I was also the quickest to 10 goals.
You scored a hat- trick at Highbury in the first game in front of the new North Bank. What was that like?
Three weeks earlier, me and a few of the lads had gone to a ’ 70s disco in Coventry, and Do
the Funky Chicken came on. We had Arsenal for our first match of the season, so we said, “Whoever scores, practise doing that Funky Chicken.” We were 20/ 1 to win the game, but I scored first and did the Funky Chicken. Then in the second half, I scored two more. No one had scored a league hat- trick against Arsenal at Highbury for 75 years, and no one scored one after me because they knocked it down!
Did you mind being nicknamed ‘ Sumo’?
I laughed it off – Coventry’s lycra kit didn’t do my physique many favours. It was like one of those nylon shirts you have as a kid, the ones that rub on your nipples, but I scored goals in that kit. I had a few chants – I liked, “He’s fat, he’s round, he scores at every ground...” The rest were abuse from opposition fans! I had some pies thrown at me at West Ham once, but I wasn’t complaining...
You had a short spell in Greece with PAOK. Did you enjoy it?
Greece wasn’t the word. Arie Haan signed me and I loved it over there, but then my brother died and I had to fly home. When I returned to Thessaloniki, about 500 fans were waiting for me at the airport with wreaths. I hadn’t been at the club very long, so I’ll never forget them for that. But then Arie left to take over at Feyenoord and the club was a mess when he left. They owed the lads bonuses, the next manager got sacked after just six weeks, and an Australian- Greek player had to translate everything for me. When Arie was in charge, he would speak English because he couldn’t speak Greek either!
How close did you come to playing for the Republic of Ireland?
Jack Charlton often went to watch Newcastle games because he lived in Hexham, and he asked me if I had Irish relatives. I said, “Yeah, a couple of generations back”, and Jack said he’d get me in the team. My great- grandad came from Waterford, but FIFA changed the rule to grandparents before anything could be sorted. My other grandad was from Italy, so I could have played for Italy.
You once described yourself as “the fastest player over a yard in the Premier League” – do you stand by that?
Yeah, I came up with that quote when I was banging the goals in. The first yard is in your mind, and a natural goalscorer gets the edge on a defender from that yard. No one could beat me over a couple of yards in a sprint, at any of the clubs I played for. After that I was f** ked, but… [ Laughs]
Quinn was speaking at the launch of the Tote Ten To Follow. Visit tote. co. uk/ ten- to- follow