Amy James-Turner (; born 4 July 1991) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. Capped four times for the England national team, Turner previously played for Manchester United, Liverpool, Lincoln Ladies/Notts County, Sheffield, Leeds United, Doncaster Rovers Belles, the Orlando Pride, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Early life Amy Turner was born on 4 July 1991 in Sheffield, and grew up in the nearby town Stocksbridge. She has a sister, Lucy, who is also a footballer and was the captain of Barnsley. Their father and grandfather were also footballers, with the latter having played for the Armed Forces team during World War II.
Youth career James-Turner joined the girl's academy of local club Sheffield Wednesday at the age of eight, and progressed to the side's under-16 team. During the same period of time, she played for Sheffield United's academy.
Club career Early and college career, 2007–13
Doncaster Rover Belles, 2007–09 James-Turner joined FA Women's Premier League club Doncaster Rovers Belles at the age of 16.
Hofstra Pride, 2009–10 Having played in the 2009 FA Women's Premier League Cup final, a match which was broadcast in America, James-Turner was contacted by Simon Riddiough, the Barnsley-born coach of college soccer team Hofstra Pride. Riddiough invited James-Turner to study at Hofstra University and play National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college soccer for the team. She played two seasons as a centre-back for Hofstra Pride, making 41 appearances and scoring 4 goals. As a rookie, James-Turner was named to the Colonial Athletic Association (now known as the Coastal Athletic Association) all-rookie team.
Return to Doncaster and release: 2011 James-Turner returned to Doncaster Rover Belles for the inaugural 2011 FA WSL season, but was released after being informed she "wasn't good enough" to play at that level.
Leeds United, 2011–12 Following her release from Doncaster, James-Turner joined Leeds United to rebuild match minutes and her confidence.
Sheffield, 2012–13 After a season at Leeds, James-Turned joined Sheffield.
Lincoln Ladies/Notts County, 2013–17 In 2013, James-Turner returned to the WSL, joining Lincoln Ladies. She was a member of the team's inaugural season under their rebranded form, Notts County. James-Turner signed a new two-year contract in January 2015. She played in the 2015 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium; Notts County were defeated 1–0 by Chelsea. In April 2015, James-Turner was shortlisted for the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year, but lost out to Leah Williamson. In late 2016, Turner suffered a knee injury that ruled her out of play for 15 months. The injury occurred during training and, after ''questionable'' support from Notts County, James-Turner's rehabilitation was overseen by the England national team. On 21 April 2017, two days before the start of the Spring Series, Notts County folded, leaving James-Turner without a club. She was informed of the team's dissolution by her teammates.
Liverpool, 2017–18 On 16 May 2017, James-Turner signed for Liverpool. In January 2018, she made her Liverpool debut as substitute against Yeovil Town, her first appearance in over a year due to her injury. On 11 June 2018, Liverpool announced that James-Turner would be released following the expiration of her contract.
Manchester United, 2018–21 On 13 July 2018, it was announced that James-Turner had signed with Manchester United for their inaugural season. On 19 August 2018, she made her competitive debut for United in a 1–0 League Cup victory against Liverpool, and her Championship debut came on 9 September, a 12–0 win over Aston Villa.
James-Turner scored her first goal for United on 28 April 2019 during a 5–0 away win over Millwall Lionesses. Ahead of the 2020–21 season, James-Turner signed a new one-year contract with an option for a further year.
Orlando Pride, 2021–22 On 25 June 2021, James-Turner was signed by National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Orlando Pride to a two-year contract with an option for an additional season. Her signing was completed using allocation money. In the same summer, her partner, Angharad James-Turner, joined rival NWSL club North Carolina Courage. On 4 July 2021, James-Turner made her debut for the Orlando Pride as an 80th-minute substitute in a 2–0 defeat to the North Carolina Courage. On 17 June 2022, it was announced James-Turner's contract had been bought out by the Pride and she was released.
Tottenham Hotspur, 2022–26 On 27 July 2022, James-Turner returned to England where she joined Tottenham Hotspur on a two-year contract with the option for a further year.
On 19 September 2024, James-Turner extended her contract until 2026.
On 17 May 2025, James-Turner shared a message via her Instagram profile where she stated she had ''been trying to work through something'' for the prior six months, and that she was advised by medical professionals to take time away from football.
In April 2026, it was announced that James-Turner would depart Tottenham at the end of the season following the expiration of her contract. In the announcement, Tottenham sent ''love and strength'' to James-Turner and her family for their ''personal journey [...] and for the future.'' James-Turner made 53 appearances across all competitions for Tottenham during the length of her tenure. On 12 September 2026, James-Turner announced her retirement from competitive play.
International career James-Turner represented England at under-23 level. She was called up to the senior squad for the first time for the 2015 Cyprus Cup after Casey Stoney withdrew with an injury. James-Turner made her international debut in a 3–0 win against Australia in March 2015, coming on as a substitute for the final two minutes. She made her full debut in the team's next match against Netherlands. James-Turner made a further two appearances, starting and playing the full 90 minutes against Estonia in September and Bosnia and Herzegovina in November 2015 during UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying as England kept a clean sheet in both victories.
James-Turner was allotted 188 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.
Post-footballing career On 1 May 2026, James-Turner was announced as the Female Programming Coordinator and Coach for player development club Seattle United.
Off the pitch
Advocacy James-Turner is an ambassador for Planet League, a fan-engagement platform; in 2024, she composed a report on ''the voice of women's football on climate.''
In 2020, James-Turner and her partner, Angharad James-Turner, organised a virtual cycling challenge between Sheffield and Pembrokeshire, their respective hometowns, to raise money for a number of charities ''very close to [their] hearts.''
Personal life James-Turner is a qualified sports science teacher. She studied for an undergraduate degree at Sheffield Hallam University, and received her Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of Huddersfield.
On 23 December 2020, James-Turner announced her engagement to Wales international Angharad James. They married in June 2023, becoming the first married couple in the WSL. Following their wedding, both have been known by the double-barrelled married name. The couple own a mobile coffee van. They have a cockapoo named Betsy.
James-Turner has named Nemanja Vidić as her footballing hero.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsDoncaster Rovers Belles2011Women's Super League40200060Leeds United2011–12WPL National1900041231Sheffield2012–13WPL Northern600040100Total2902081391Lincoln Ladies2013Women's Super League1100040150Notts County2014Women's Super League13030602202015Women's Super League14040802602016Women's Super League902010120Total47090190750Liverpool2017–18Women's Super League60100070Manchester United2018–19Championship16220602422019–20Women's Super League13010511912020–21Women's Super League2101120241Total50241131674Orlando Pride2021NWSL14000—1402022NWSL1140—51Total1514000191Tottenham Hotspur2022–23Women's Super League22020412812023–24Women's Super League14140502312024–25Women's Super League100010202025–26Women's Super League00000000Total37160101532Career total18442615032608
International
+Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsEngland201540Total40
Honours Manchester United FA Women's Championship: 2018–19
Tottenham Hotspur Women's FA Cup runner-up: 2023–24
England Cyprus Cup: 2015
References
External links
Profile at the Tottenham Hotspur F.C. website