The Plymouth Rose.

You can count on one hand the Plymothians who have played football for England. In fact, just two born in the city have gone on to represent their country at full international level; Trevor Francis and Jemma Rose.

For Jemma, it was a pipe dream growing up in the 1990s. She played junior football in the city for Activate, coached by her dad, before getting recognised and brought into the Centre of Excellence.

But with no pathway to become a professional in Devon, she had to move to Bristol. By the age of 20 she had already played in two FA Cup finals, been captain for England at every age level and almost made the Team GB squad for London 2012.

Continuing to impress, Jemma moved to Arsenal, where she played every game in her first season and was involved in the 2015 FA Cup winning squad. An England cap wasn’t too far away and November 2015, she got her cap.

It was a whirlwind rise and the journey ended up with a return to Argyle in 2021. 

This is the story of Jemma Rose.

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