Ashley Lawrence

For other people named Ashley Lawrence, see Ashley Lawrence (disambiguation).

Ashley Elizabeth Marie Lawrence (born June 11, 1995) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a full-back or a midfielder for Women's Super League club Chelsea and the Canada national team. She has been described as "one of the best attacking full-backs in the world."^[4]

Ashley Lawrence

Lawrence with Chelsea in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Ashley Elizabeth Marie Lawrence[1]
Date of birth	(1995-06-11) June 11, 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[2]
Position(s)	Full-back, midfielder
Team information
Current team	Chelsea
Number	12
Youth career
	Brams United SC[3]
	Erin Mills SC
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2016	West Virginia Mountaineers	91	(17)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2017–2023	Paris Saint-Germain	178	(9)
2023–	Chelsea	43	(3)
International career‡
2010–2012	Canada U17	11	(0)
2014	Canada U20	4	(0)
2015	Canada U23	4	(0)
2013–	Canada	141	(8)
Medal record Women's football Representing  Canada Olympic Games 2020 Tokyo Team 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team CONCACAF W Championship Runner-up 2018 United States Runner-up 2022 Mexico
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of December 14, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of December 3, 2024

College career

Lawrence played college soccer at West Virginia University for the Mountaineers, where she co-captained the team, and won numerous accolades.^[5]

Club career

Early career

While playing for West Virginia University from 2013 to 2016, Lawrence played for the W-League franchises Toronto Lady Lynx in 2013^[6] and Ottawa Fury in 2014.^[7] In June 2016, Lawrence signed with Vaughan Azzurri of League1 Ontario to get more game action prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics.^[8] She made her debut on June 26 alongside national teammate Kadeisha Buchanan in a 9–0 win over Darby FA.^[9]

Paris Saint-Germain

Upon graduating from West Virginia University, Lawrence was a highly rated prospect prior to the 2017 NWSL College Draft.^[10] In January 2017, Lawrence signed with Paris Saint-Germain in Division 1 Féminine, with a two-year contract.^[11][12] With PSG she reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in her first season, where they only lost on penalties against league rivals Olympique Lyon. She was one of the successful shooters on her team.^[13]

As third place in the league, PSG missed the 2017/18 Champions League. In December 2018, Lawrence signed a multi-year contract extension with PSG.^[14] In 2018/19, PSG was able to compete again as league runners-up, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals against Chelsea. Lawrence appeared in four of the six games.

In 2020/21 they beat Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and were also able to replace Lyon as French champions after 14 championship titles in a row.^[15]  Lawrence was used in 20 of 22 league games and in 6 Champions League games, which ended with elimination in the semi-finals against eventual winners FC Barcelona.

Chelsea F.C.

On July 1, 2023, Lawrence signed a three-year deal with Chelsea in the Women's Super League until the summer of 2026.^[16] She joined the London-based club after she had represented the Parisians for the past six years.^[17] She scored her first goal for Chelsea against Aston Villa on November 4, 2023.^[18]

International career

Lawrence was part of the U-17 and U-20 Canadian youth national teams and took part in the U-17 World Cup in 2010 and 2012 as well as the U-20 World Cup in 2014.

She made her debut for the Canada senior team against China PR during the 2013 Four Nations Tournament on January 12. She took part in the 2013 Cyprus Cup. On November 26, 2014, she was in the starting line-up for the first time in the 1–1 draw against Sweden. She played in the 2015 Four Nations Tournament. She made another starting appearance in the 2015 Cyprus Cup final against England, which was lost 1–0.

She was called up to the squad for the 2015 World Cup hosted by her own country, where she was in the starting line-up for the opening game and also played in the subsequent games. In the last group game against the Netherlands she scored 1-0 and thus her first international and World Cup goal. She and her team were eliminated in the quarter-finals against England.

After the 2015 World Cup, Lawrence took part in the 2015 Pan American Games with the U-23 team, which also took place in her home country and where the Canadians took fourth place. In December 2015, she took part in the four-nation tournament in Brazil with the senior national team, where Canada took second place. She was also part of the squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics qualifying tournament, where Canada qualified. She was used in all games and was only not in the starting line-up in the 10–0 win against Guatemala, when some regular players were rested. In the first game against Guyana, she scored three of Canada's five goals. She was named to the tournament's all-star team as the best left midfielder.^[19]

In 2016, she was named to the Olympic team squad for the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro in August, where she played in all six games (one substitution) and won the bronze medal with the national team.^[20]

On May 25, 2019, she was nominated for the 2019 World Cup.^[21]  She was used in the Canadians' four games and didn't miss a minute, but her team was eliminated in the round of 16 against Sweden, who later came third.

In June 2021, Lawrence was nominated for the Olympic Games, which were postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[22]  At the games she was used in the six games and was only substituted nine minutes before the end of the game in the third group game against Great Britain. On August 2, 2021, she played her 100th international match for Canada in the semi-final against the USA.^[23] At 116:56 of the Olympic final, she cleared away a Swedish cross on her own goal line to prevent a header goal. Canada went on to win the match in the penalty shoot-out, winning the gold medal with her team.^[24]

At the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, she was used in the three group games, the semi-finals, and the final. By reaching the semi-finals, the Canadians qualified for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. But in the final they lost again to the USA.

On July 9, 2023, Lawrence was nominated for the 2023 World Cup.^[25] She played in each of her team's three games, and was eliminated with her team after the preliminary round by Australia.^[26]

Personal life

Her mother, Tina, is originally from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, while her father is from Jamaica.^[27][28]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played December 17, 2024^[29][30]

Club	Season	League			Domestic Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Paris Saint-Germain	2016–17	Division 1 Féminine	11	1	5	0	5	0	—		21	1
	2017–18		21	0	6	0	—		—		27	0
	2018–19		14	2	2	0	4	0	—		20	2
	2019–20		9	3	3	1	5	0	1[a]	0	18	4
	2020–21		20	1	1	0	6	1	—		27	2
	2021–22		17	0	5	2	9	0	—		31	2
	2022–23		20	0	4	0	8	0	1[a]	0	33	0
	Total		112	7	26	3	37	1	2	0	177	11
Chelsea	2023–24	Women's Super League	18	1	3	0	9	0	—		30	1
	2024–25		9	1	0	0	6	1	—		15	2
	Total		27	2	3	0	15	1	—		45	3
Career total			139	9	29	3	52	2	2	0	222	14

1. Appearance(s) in Trophée des Championnes

International

As of match played December 3, 2024

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Canada	2013	7	0
	2014	4	0
	2015	15	1
	2016	20	3
	2017	10	0
	2018	12	1
	2019	15	0
	2020	8	2
	2021	10	0
	2022	12	1
	2023	12	0
	2024	16	0
Total		141	8

Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lawrence goal.

List of international goals scored by Ashley Lawrence

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	15 June 2015	Montreal, Canada	Netherlands	1–0	1–1	2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
2	11 February 2016	Houston, United States	Guyana	2–0	5–0	2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
3				4–0
4				5–0
5	7 March 2018	Parchal, Portugal	Japan	2–0	2–0	2018 Algarve Cup
6	29 January 2020	Edinburg, United States	Saint Kitts and Nevis	3–0	11–0	2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
7				9–0
8	15 November 2022	São Paulo, Brazil	Brazil	1–1	1–2	Friendly

Honours

Paris Saint-Germain

• Division 1 Féminine: 2020–21^[31]
• Coupe de France: 2017–18,^[32] 2021–22^[33]
• UEFA Women's Champions League runner-up: 2016–17

Chelsea

• Women's Super League: 2023–24^[34]

Canada

• Summer Olympic Games: 2021; bronze medal: 2016
• Algarve Cup: 2016; runner up: 2017
• Four Nations Tournament: 2015

Individual

• IFFHS Women's World Team: 2021
• IFFHS Women's CONCACAF Team of the Year: 2021
• CONCACAF W Gold Cup Best XI: 2024^[35]
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship Best XI: 2016^[36]
• Canadian Women's Player of the Year: 2019^[37]
• Canadian U-17 Player of the Year: 2011, 2012

References

1. "Women's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020 Squad Lists" (PDF). FIFA. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
2. "2015 World Cup" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
3. "Pro: First Youth Registration List" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
4. "Chelsea land Ashley Lawrence!". www.chelseafc.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
5. "Ashley Lawrence profile". West Virginia University. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
6. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". February 10, 2014. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
7. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". August 10, 2014. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
8. "Ashley Lawrence profile". League1 Ontario. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
9. "Vaughan Features Canada WNT Players In 9–0 Win Over Darby". League1 Ontario. June 27, 2016. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
10. Neil Davidson (December 30, 2016). "Canadian soccer stars Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence mull over club futures". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
11. PSG press (January 3, 2017). "Ashley Lawrence signs for Paris Saint-Germain". PSG official website. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
12. Laura Armstrong (January 3, 2017). "Canadian women's soccer star Ashley Lawrence signs with French club PSG". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
13. "Olympique Lyonnais vs. PSG - 1 June 2017 - Women Soccerway". www.women.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
14. "Canada's Ashley Lawrence signs new deal with Paris Saint-Germain". Sportsnet. December 12, 2018. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
15. "Däbritz und PSG beenden Regentschaft von Lyon". weltfussball.de (in German). Retrieved November 16, 2023.
16. "Chelsea land Ashley Lawrence!". www.chelseafc.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
17. "Chelsea land Ashley Lawrence". Chelsea official website. June 30, 2023. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
18. Miranda, Fellipe (November 4, 2023). "WATCH: Ashley Lawrence's first ever Chelsea goal makes it 4-0 against Aston Villa!". We Ain't Got No History. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
19. "TSG announces CWOQ Best XI, Awards". March 3, 2016. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
20. "Canada defeats Brazil to win Olympic soccer bronze at Rio 2016". olympic.ca. August 19, 2016. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
21. "Ensemble, visons haut: Canada Soccer dévoile sa sélection pour la Coupe du Monde Féminine de la FIFA, France 2019 | Canada Soccer". May 25, 2019. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
22. "Canada Soccer unveils Women's National Team roster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games - Canada Soccer". Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
23. "A century to remember for Canada's Lawrence". FIFA. August 2, 2021. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
24. "Canadian women's soccer team delivers thrilling Olympic gold-medal victory over Sweden". CBC. August 6, 2021. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
25. "Canada Soccer unveils FIFA Women's World Cup squad for Australia & New Zealand 2023 - Canada Soccer". Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
26. "Ergebnisse & Spielpläne". Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
27. WARMINGTON: Golden Olympic moment shared by soccer stars’ proud families Toronto Sun
28. "Canada Soccer profile". Canada Soccer. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
29. "Ashley Lawrence Profile". Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
30. "Ashley Lawrence". statsfootofeminin.fr. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
31. Loyant, Richard (June 4, 2021). "Paris SG sacré pour la première fois". Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
32. "Football féminin : le Paris-Saint-Germain détrône Lyon et gagne la Coupe de France". Le Monde.fr. June 1, 2018. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
33. "Coupe de France féminine : les Parisiennes sans pitié pour Yzeure". May 15, 2022. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
34. Sanders, Emma (May 18, 2024). "Manchester United 0-6 Chelsea: Chelsea win fifth straight title as Hayes signs off in style". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
35. "Shaw, Leon, Ovalle head up W Gold Cup Best XI". CONCACAF. March 13, 2024. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
36. "TSG announces CWOQ Best XI, Awards". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
37. "Canada Soccer announces Ashley Lawrence as 2019 Canadian Player of the Year". Canadian Soccer Association. December 12, 2019. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2019.

External links

• Ashley Lawrence at the Canadian Soccer Association
• Ashley Lawrence at Team Canada
• Ashley Lawrence at Olympedia (archive)
• Ashley Lawrence at Olympics.com
• Ashley Lawrence at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics