Julie Fleeting - International Career

International Career

Fleeting was called up to the national under–16 team at the age of 14. She made her senior Scotland debut, aged 15, against Wales at Somerset Park in November 1996. In January 1997 Fleeting was part of a youthful Scotland squad who toured Brazil; suffering 5–0, 6–0 and 7–1 defeats to their hosts. When Scotland played an Auld Enemy fixture in August 1997 it was reported that the Scots had been "pinning their hopes of an upset" on the teenaged Fleeting.

Fleeting represented Scotland in the 1999 World Cup qualifiers. Starting with away games in Estonia and Lithuania, Fleeting scored four in Scotland's 7–1 win in Tallinn and three in a 5–0 win in Vilnius. In May 1998 she scored twice in a 7–0 win over Estonia at Somerset Park, then headed the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw with the Czech Republic in Inverness. With Scotland competing at the B level of UEFA competition—and ineligible to qualify—they needed a final win over Lithuania and a 16–goal swing to overhaul the Czech Republic and win the group. Fleeting hit four goals, including a decisive injury time header, as Scotland won 17–0 to top the group and secure a play–off against Spain for promotion to the A grade. She was unable to make an impression as Spain consigned the Scots (coached by Julie's father Jim) to further participation at B level.

In September 2000 Fleeting scored 16 goals in one match; a 27–0 win over the Isle of Man in the Celt Cup, a quadrangular tournament held in Carryduff and also featuring Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. She continued to score at a prolific rate during the 2001 UEFA Women's Championship qualification campaign, scoring one and setting–up the others as Ireland were beaten 3–0 at Broadwood in the opening fixture. She added two more in the return match in Dublin, another 3–0 win. Fleeting also netted twice in a fractious 4–1 win over Croatia at Forthbank Stadium.

In October 2001, Fleeting marked the occasion of her fiftieth cap with a four goal haul in Scotland's 5–1 win over Wales at Almondvale.

Fleeting was part of the Scotland team that took on the Auld Enemy in a friendly at Prenton Park in April 2005. Fleeting's first goal against England, was the equaliser, but it couldn't prevent Scotland losing an own goal in the dying minutes as they lost 2-1. The previous night Fleeting had scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over England in a behind closed doors training match.

In a 2009 European Championship qualifier in October 2007, Fleeting scored her one hundredth goal for Scotland in a 3-0 victory in Slovakia. She was later presented with a specially designed Scotland top from sponsors, Tennent's and a pair of golden boots by her boot Sponsor, Nomis, in celebration of achieving such a phenomenal feat. The SFA announced their own plans to commemorate her "momentous" achievement with a special presentation before Scotland's home game against Italy in November. A few days later, Fleeting reached another milestone, when she won her one hundredth cap against Denmark at McDiarmid Park in another qualification match. SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith made a special presentation prior to the match in her honour.

In March 2010, Fleeting made her long awaited Scotland return in 3-1 win in Georgia in a 2011 World Cup qualifier. It was her first game back in Scotland colours, since returning from time out of the game. Five days later, Fleeting returned to her goalscoring exploits by bagging four goals in an 8-1 hammering of Bulgaria at the Falkirk Stadium in another World Cup qualifier. After that match her international record stood at 111 goals in 111 caps for Scotland.

In June 2011, Scotland's record goalscorer, ruled herself out of contention for being picked for Great Britain women's team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She concurred with the opinion of her father, the Scottish FA's director of football development, Jim Fleeting that participation may "jeopardise" the Scottish national team.

Fleeting missed Scotland's 2013 European Championship qualificition campaign with the pregnancy and birth of her second child.