Claire Emslie
Claire Emslie is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward for NWSL team Orlando Pride and the Scotland national team. She previously played college soccer for the Florida Atlantic Owls and professionally for Hibernian, Bristol City, Manchester City and Melbourne City. She made her full international debut in 2013 and was selected for the Scotland squad at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Emslie scored their first goal in the competition, becoming the first woman to score in a World Cup finals for Scotland.
Club career
Hibernian
Emslie began her senior career in 2011 with Scottish Women's Premier League team Hibernian, making her debut in a league game against Falkirk on 24 April. In total, Emslie made thirty-five appearances and scored eighteen times in three seasons with Hibernian, winning the Scottish League Cup in her debut year.Florida Atlantic Owls
Between 2012 and 2015, Emslie attended Florida Atlantic University, majoring in exercise physiology. During her time in the United States, she played for the Florida Atlantic Owls. She ended her college career with 29 goals and 10 assists in four seasons.Bristol City
On 16 June 2016, Emslie returned to the UK and joined FA WSL 2 side Bristol City. She went on to score ten goals in twelve matches for Bristol, leading her team to promotion into the FA WSL. She signed a new contract with Bristol in February 2017.Manchester City
On 1 July 2017, following the end of the shortened FA WSL Spring Series, Emslie joined Manchester City. She scored her first goal for the team in an FA WSL Cup group stage win over Oxford United on 2 November 2017. She won a domestic cup double with City during the 2018–19 season, lifting both the League Cup and FA Cup.Orlando Pride
On 30 May 2019, Emslie agreed a move to Orlando Pride of the NWSL, officially joining the team upon conclusion of Scotland's run at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup which ended on 19 June with a dramatic 3–3 draw against Argentina in the Group Stage. She was the only one of the Prides' nine players at the World Cup to not progress to the knockout round. She made her debut for the team on 20 July 2019, coming on as a substitute for Rachel Hill in a 1–0 win over Sky Blue FC.Loan to Melbourne City
Emslie was loaned to Australian club Melbourne City in November 2019. Emslie scored four regular season goals as Melbourne successfully defended their Premiership title and subsequently went on to win the Championship, beating Sydney FC in the final.International career
Emslie has represented Scotland internationally. At youth level, she won caps with the U17s and U19s. She scored goals in consecutive UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship tournaments in 2012 and 2013 respectively.In June 2013, Emslie made her senior debut against Iceland in an international friendly. After it became clear that she would be based in the United States for a long period, Emslie was not considered for international selection until her studies in Florida concluded and she moved to England. Her second cap came in a friendly against Denmark in January 2017. She was recalled to the national team in August 2017 when new manager Shelley Kerr called her up for a friendly against Hungary. Emslie subsequently scored her first senior international goal against Hungary in a 3–0 win at the Telki Training Centre in Pest County. Kerr selected Emslie for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, the first time the nation had ever qualified for the tournament.
Emslie scored Scotland's first-ever World Cup goal on 9 June 2019 in a group stage defeat to England.
Personal life
Emslie was born in Edinburgh to parents Neil and Anna before being raised in Penicuik. She counts former Hibernian teammate Caroline Weir and Bristol teammate Chloe Arthur among her close friends, both of whom also play for Scotland.Career statistics
Club
International
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |
| 1 | 14 September 2017 | Telki Training Centre, Telki, Hungary | 3 | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | ||
| 2 | 24 October 2017 | Paisley 2021 Stadium, Paisley, Scotland | 5 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | ||
| 3 | 10 April 2018 | Paisley 2021 Stadium, Paisley, Scotland | 11 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | ||
| 4 | 9 June 2019 | Allianz Riviera, Nice, France | 22 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup | ||
| 5 | 30 August 2019 | Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland | 25 | 1–0 | 8–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2021 qualification | ||
| 6 | 8 November 2019 | Elbasan Arena, Elbasan, Albania | 26 | 1–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2021 qualification | ||
| 7 | 4 March 2020 | Pinatar Arena, San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain | 27 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2020 Pinatar Cup |
Honours
Hibernian- Scottish Women's Premier League Cup: 2011
- FA Women's League Cup: 2018–19
- Women's FA Cup: 2018–19
- W-League Premiership: 2019–20
- W-League Championship: 2019–20