Furness 'didn't want to hang on and hate the game'

Rachel Furness is Northern Ireland's record goalscorer

Rachel Furness stood in the changing room and said a few words in front of her Northern Ireland team-mates as she fought back the tears.

The decision to retire had not come overnight, but that did not make the moment any less emotional.

From oversized shirts and paying to play, to breaking records and making history on the biggest stage, she had seen it all in a career that had spanned 20 years.

Earlier in the season, Furness had been in line for a Northern Ireland recall before she picked up an injury which ruled her out until the new year.

It was throughout that period when retirement crossed her mind.

"I thought it might have been my body telling me it had enough," Furness told BBC Sport NI.

"I'm happy with what I have achieved in the game and I didn't want to hang on and hate the game, so it's the perfect time to step away."

After announcing her retirement, Furness jumped on a plane and went on holiday for a week.

It not only gave her a chance to reflect, but celebrate a career in which she had achieved so much.

From a teenager in a re-formed national team, Furness would become her country's record goalscorer and win 95 caps.

She played a key role as Northern Ireland qualified for a major tournament for the first time at the Euros in 2022, and even assisted Julie Nelson's famous goal against Norway.

Furness admits she almost "downplays" her achievements but, after working with a leadership coach, she has realised "it is something to shout about".

"I'm so proud that I've got that record. There was blood, sweat and tears to score that many goals for Northern Ireland, in a team that traditionally doesn't score that many goals.

"Every one one of those 95 caps was special in a different way and every one of them has a story attached to it."

'I never thought I'd get that moment'

A standout message from her speech was leaving the Northern Ireland shirt in a better place than she found it, and that was certainly the case.

Her passion, as was so often evident on the pitch, was clear for all to see.

When Furness made her debut as a teenager in 2005, Northern Ireland's senior team had just been re-formed, the players had to pay to play and their shirts were oversized hand-me-downs from the men.

"We were always the underdogs. We were budget girls who fought for each other, and what a 20 years it has been with the transition that has happened with coaching and the tournaments.

"Alfie (Wylie) paved the way, then with Kenny (Shiels) it was doing what we thought was the impossible, and now Tanya (Oxtoby, the current manager) is leading the new generation.

"I can step aside happy knowing we are going in the right direction.

"We've still so much to fight for and just because I'm retired doesn't mean I'll stop fighting for what I think we need to compete."

Furness says she can leave Northern Ireland with a smile on her face

Despite her achievements, those final moments with her team-mates in a changing room in Bosnia-Herzegovina may never have happened at all.

After Euro 2022, Furness had stepped away from playing for her country to focus on her mental health - something she later opened up about in an interview with BBC Sport.

She returned to the fold the following year, but injuries limited her involvement.

A final call-up came for May's Nations League matches, and while she did not get any minutes in those fixtures, her experience off the pitch helped guide a young squad to a League A promotion play-off.

"As a competitor, you are always disappointed when you don't get on, but for me it was the bigger picture of being in camp, being around the girls and having an input off the pitch.

"It was me able to say goodbye and I never thought I'd be able to do that on my terms. I'm fit and I'm healthy, and I never thought I'd be able to retire and it was in my own hands."

'A little girl's dream came true'

Furness received a guard of honour from her team-mates after scoring in her final home match for Newcastle United

Furness didn't only get a fitting end with her country, but also with Newcastle United - the club she had supported since she was a little girl.

Her playing career had taken her across the WSL, at clubs such as Sunderland, Reading, Tottenham, Liverpool and Bristol City.

But it was the north east of England where her heart was calling, and she signed a one-year contract with Newcastle, who had been promoted to the Championship.

As Furness says, it was a "full-circle moment".

"My dream was always to walk out at St James' Park and to do that in front of 38,000 people this season was a little girl's dream come true."

Early in the season, when she picked up the injury that swayed her towards retirement, it did not look like it would be a fairytale ending.

But after recovering, she played a key role at the end of the season and she scored in her final home match and captained the side the following week in her final game.

"I've not retired sitting on the bench, I've retired on a high playing for the team I support, to the point where people have questioned why I've done it when I've still so much to give.

"I would have bought the shirt and paid someone to play, so I feel very lucky and fortunate that I got to wear that shirt and got paid to do it."

'I'm big on being happy'

Furness is someone who lives and breathes football. Her passion for the game remains, and now she has hung up her boots she intends to give something back.

"I'm hoping to go into coaching and stay in the game in some capacity.

"I've got a few opportunities. I'm starting again with such knowledge and experience behind me, and such confidence in what I can give."

Furness is excited for the future, and no matter what the next chapter brings, her priority is to remain happy and healthy.

"Life's short so if I'm not enjoying it then I'll find something I do enjoy.

"I'm big on being happy and mentally being in a good place, which I am at the moment.

"We'll see what opportunities come across, and whatever it'll be, there will be a smile on my face and I'll be happy with the decisions that I make."