Career
Having played 91 times for England, Spacey is considered one of the greatest English football players of all time. Spacey was prevented from participating in boys" football at school but joined British Oxygen"s women"s team at the age of 13 in 1979. Spacey also played for HJK Helsinki in Finland.
The Finnish move came about through Spacey"s England teammate Louise Waller, who had played for HJK the previous summer.
Spacey then returned to England and scored 12 goals in the first five games of the 1991-1992 season for her old club, who became known as Wimbledon Ladies in 1991. Spacey then spent eight seasons with Arsenal from 1993, before moving to Fulham on a professional contract in the 2002 close season.
She had missed the second part of 1995-1996 due to pregnancy. Vic Akers said of Spacey"s career in 2009: She became manager of the team when they reverted to semi–pro status in 2003, but left in 2006 after Fulham scrapped their women"s team altogether.
Later that year she became a senior coach for AFC Wimbledon Ladies.
Spacey later coached the England Under–16, Under–17 and Under–19 teams as well as working in the coaching departments of Arsenal and Charlton Athletic. In November 2006 she was appointed girls and women"s football development officer for the Worcestershire FA. In December 2013 Spacey was appointed assistant to England women"s manager Mark Sampson. As part of the role she took responsibility for the England women"s national under-23 football team and the development of female coaches in England.
Spacey made her debut for England against Belgium on 20 August 1984.
She played in all four of England"s games at their first Fédération internationale de football association Women"s World Cup appearance in 1995. Having finished playing for England with a respectable 76 appearances, Spacey was later recalled by Hope Powell to add experience in midfield.
Spacey was surprised by the development: "I honestly thought that wouldn"t happen again. When I got the letter my legs went weak.
I"ve played 76 times for England and now I feel like the new girl!" She went on to play a total of 91 times for her country, scoring 28 goals before retiring after Union of European Football Associations Women"s Euro 2001, aged 36.
In May 1990 Spacey scored at Wembley Stadium in an exhibition match played against Scotland.