City banker who can win the FA Cup for Chelsea
Rafferty’s Wembley dream
IT IS lunchtime in the City of London and a smartly-dressed woman dashes into the marble- fronted offices of Deutsche Bank. On her shoulder, however, she carries a kitbag, not a handbag.
Claire Rafferty isn’t late. Rather, she has already done a morning’s work on the training pitches at Chelsea’s Cobham headquarters in Surrey.
From there, the 25-year-old has travelled via car, train and heels as she makes the daily transformation from international footballer to financial analyst for one of the world’s most prestigious banks.
In her bag is her kit for a post-work gym session as well as a book on investment banking, studied during the 40-minute train journey between Orpington in Kent — where she lives with her family — and Cannon Street station in the heart of the capital’s financial district.
‘I don’t want football to define me,’ said the Loughborough economics graduate ahead of today’s FA Cup final at Wembley, where she will line up at left back as Chelsea bid for their first major silverware against Notts County.
‘My work excites me and stimulates me. I’ve ruptured my knee ligaments three times and actually quit football for a little while after the last one. I know I won’t be a footballer for ever.’
Rafferty is the only one of England’s World Cup bronze medallists who is ‘part-time’ but she has never missed a training session and says ‘ the only difference is that I go somewhere afterwards’.
The management at Deutsche Bank recognise the potential of Rafferty’s stock — it is their field after all. But after her performance for the Lionesses at this summer’s World Cup in Canada they are also beginning to realise exactly why they are accommodating her dual existence.
‘ In the City it’s a different world, no- one cares about football or talks about it really,’ said Rafferty, who made her debut for Millwall at 14 and is now Chelsea’s longest-serving player.
‘But that’s changed a fair bit now. My boss has really got behind me — he’s my No 1 fan on Twitter! Everyone is commenting on the games and there are a few secret fans hiding around the office.’
That is the reaction to Rafferty in the City. But what about on the street, especially after being named in Zoo Magazine’s Top Hot 101?
‘ I get little looks when I’m out or on the train and you think, “Do they recognise me, or is my hair out of place?”. It makes you a bit paranoid,’ she says with a laugh. ‘But I feel more self-assured now and proud that what we are doing is being taken notice of. It has got people to accept us and the interest following the World Cup has been incredible — exactly what our game needed. ‘It’s fair to say I had a few coming-home parties — that never normally happens! And all of the friends I’ve had since primary school now finally realise why I’ve missed all of those nights out.’ And what about Zoo? ‘Yeah, I hear I entered at 43?’ she says. ‘ I’m flattered by it I suppose but it’s not something I strive for. All the girls were taking the mickey, asking if I was going to do a topless photoshoot. I don’t think that would go down too well with the bank.’ You are more likely to find Rafferty featuring on the pages of the Financial Times than you are a lads’ mag. During conversation two things strike you: a maturity way beyond what are relatively tender years and her ambition.
‘I see myself as a City highflier in the future, definitely,’ says perhaps the only footballer to care more about their LinkedIn page than Wikipedia. ‘ I want to make my millions then re-invest in women’s football and I’m serious about that.
‘When I’m a billionaire I could even be an owner! I feel really passionate about this because our game needs money to grow and I would love to play a part in that when I’ve finished playing.’
For now, though, there is the FA Cup final and the chance to make amends for defeat on penalties by Birmingham City in 2012. Rafferty missed in that shootout loss having also been one of the fall-girls from 12 yards during the World Cup quarter-final exit to France the previous summer.
She has calculated the risk of stepping up again.
‘Not a chance,’ she jokes. ‘After putting it wide in the World Cup in 2011 I thought I could rectify it in the FA Cup final but the keeper saved it. But there’s always another chance in football and this is it.’
There will be at least 30,000 inside the national stadium, including Rafferty’s mum and dad Pauline and Michael, as well as her brother and sister Thomas and Charlotte, and colleagues from Deutsche Bank. Her boss has bought everyone tickets for the Bobby Moore Suite.
‘I prefer playing in front of big crowds,’ she said. ‘When we play at Staines it’s a bit too intimate — I can hear my mum shouting.
‘But this is huge, the chance to make history by winning the first FA Cup final at Wembley.
‘I’m going to the Community Shield on Sunday as well to watch Chelsea against Arsenal, so I hope it’s a blue weekend.’
Come tea-time Rafferty could be climbing the famous Wembley stairs to lift the trophy. Win or lose, however, it will be the steps at Cannon Street station she is climbing on Monday.