Boro’s Paddy proud of partner Gemma’s England call
WHILE Scarborough Athletic were entertaining Brighouse Town recently, it’s certain that the majority of the crowd at Queensgate were unaware of a Chelsea and England defender in their midst.
But John Terry hadn’t decided to stop on the East Coast for fish and chips, and take in a Scarborough game for the first time since his winning FA Cup goal in 2004 at the now demolished Mccain Stadium.
The Chelsea and England star sat in the stands as Boro won 2-0 against Brighouse was Gemma Bonner.
Not heard of her? Look up the latest England women’s squad as announced last week, and you will see her name top of the list of new call-ups for the Euro 2013 qualifier in Croatia tomorrow.
Gemma, 20, is the girlfriend of Boro left-back Paddy Miller, and while the former Yorkshire Amateur star is lining up for Boro tomorrow afternoon against Retford United, Gemma will be hoping for a call from head coach Hope Powell for her first full international cap.
After two seasons with the England Women’s under-17 and under-19 teams – including appearances at the under-17 World Cup in 2008 and the under-19 European Championships in 2010 – centre-back Gemma later appeared seven times for the under-23 side before receiving her first senior team call-up for the Euro 2013 qualifier away to Croatia tomorrow.
On the domestic front, she plays for Women’s Super League side Chelsea, having joined from Leeds United last season.
Gemma helped Leeds to win the Women’s Premier League Cup in 2010, and the Women’s FA Cup in 2008.
Gemma, who still lives in Leeds, is a full time student at Leeds Metropolitan University studying Sports Performance.
Paddy, also residing in West Yorkshire, is studying sports coaching, development and fitness at Bishop Burton College, where he is on a football scholarship.
He also works part-time at Topman in Leeds, regularly working early on Saturday mornings before travelling to play for Boro, for whom he re-signed from Yorkshire Amateur at the start of this season.
Paddy, 22, is proud as punch of Gemma, despite the ribbing he gets in the Boro changing room!
He said: “Gemma deserves the achievements she has made so far. I know I will be slightly biased but she is a fantastic footballer and I am really proud of her.
“She is also a very well grounded person and doesn’t take anything for granted with her football.
“From the Boro lads I normally get asked, ‘what’s it like having a girlfriend who is better than you at football?’
“It’s all in good jest, but they do show an interest in her football and ask how she is getting on, so that’s nice.
“She also passes on tips on playing the game to me. She knows what she is talking about, especially being a defender herself. I normally take her advice well, unless we have lost. In that case she doesn’t normally mention the game for a few days.”
Paddy and Gemma first met at school, and over the past few years their relationship has blossomed.
Miller said: “We met at Cardinal Heenan High School in Leeds but Gemma is a year younger than me.
“The head of PE told me about a girl who played for Leeds United Ladies in the year below me, so when I saw her I asked her about her football. Her response was to completely deny that she played football at all.”
But play she did, and from age seven she turned out for Leeds City Vixens. At 10 years old she moved to Leeds United Ladies and played for the club for 10 years, before her move to Chelsea in January 2011.
The move was made to further her career, after the restructuring of the women’s game last year.
“The FA Women’s Super League was introduced at the beginning of last season but with only eight teams in it,” she explains.
“Leeds were not included in it, which meant if I wanted to play at the highest level I would have to move. That’s when Chelsea came in for me.
“Noenglish women’s club is fully professional due to finance and time coaches have with the players. We train twice through the week at Chelsea, and play games at the weekend.
“However I still live in Leeds, and so only train once a week due to the travelling. All of the girls are also either studying alongside football or have full-time jobs as teachers or coaches. However, all the girls balance this with their own individual training through the week.
“I’m very lucky to have such supportive parents, especially my dad who drives me to my training and games.”
Gemma’s continued rise in the women’s game came on March 20, with her call-up to the senior squad for the trip to Croatia.
Speaking to the Evening News from the training camp in Croatia earlier this week, Gemma said: “It’s something I have always dreamt of being a part of since such a young age, and for it to actually happen makes me over the moon.
“When I initially received the call from the staff I was overwhelmed and it took a while for it to sink in.
“It’s always an honour to be play for your country especially at a senior level.
“It’s important to keep my head down and keep working. There are several experienced players ahead of me who I can learn from and who can help me to become a better player. And hopefully when I do get my chance I will take it with both hands.”
Gemma also has an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to, having scored in the last round against Doncaster Belles to help Chelsea through.
They play holders Arsenal in the semi-final on April 29 at Brentford’s Griffin Park.
She said of playing in the competition: “Being in the semi-final of the FA Cup is always an exciting occasion, especially being drawn against one of the top teams in the country.
“It will always be a challenge, but we have a great team and management staff so am sure it will be an exciting game, one which I amlooking forward to.”
Meanwhile, Paddy is preparing for Boro’s run-in in the Northern Counties East League premier division, with games at grounds such as Arnold Town and Liversedge to look forward to.
“Gemma is quite lucky,” he explains. “I get to watch her play at stadiums such as the Emirates. But she also gets to watch me play at places like Hall Road and Staveley so we are even.”