19-year-old Khiara Keating has become one of the most talked about future stars of the WSL and the Lionesses, but how did she get to this point?
Where it began
Despite growing up in a community right next to City Football Academy, there were limited opportunities for children in Ardwick to play football. In the early days, Keating’s first exposure to football was in the cages near her home where she would play with her siblings after school.
Khiara’s mum played a huge part in her journey to becoming a professional footballer. With restricted access to football, she took it upon herself to create Ardwick FC.
Ardwick FC provided young children living in the local community the chance to play football on a regular basis and enjoy it with their friends. It was during this time that Khiara found her love for the game. Surprisingly, her first position was as a striker.
“It was the first time I’d kicked a ball with a team and just knowing that the experience that we had at such a young age was so special and something that I will cherish for my career”.
At age 6, she was scouted by Manchester United. It was here where her talent as a goalkeeper was discovered. In an interview with The Sun, Khiara discussed how it was her mum’s encouraging words that pushed her to complete the trial.
“I got invited but when I turned up there and saw how many kids there were, I just said, ‘I am not doing this’.
“But then my mum said, ‘I didn’t drive all this way to just let you give up. Your brother’s gloves are in the car’.
“So then I trialled with my brother’s gloves on and got in.”
City has aways been Khiara’s favourite team but it wasn’t until she turned 11 that her dream came true. In 2015 she moved to Manchester City academy where she continued her development from youth to the first team. During this time, Khiara was called up to the England youth teams which gave her more exposure to football at a high level.
Becoming a role model
If you were to ask past or present female players that have played or are playing in the WSL to name their role models growing up, most would say a male player. The lack of exposure on TV of women’s football meant that a lot of young girls didn’t believe that they could pursue football as a career. Although Khiara is only 19, her response was similar to the likes of Leah Williamson who said former England and Arsenal defender Tony Adams was her role model.
“Mine was always Joe Hart. And then when I really got interested in the women’s game, it was like Karen Bardsley. So, like they’re quite big City legends”.
Diversity within the top teams in women’s football in England has been a topic of conversation previously. Teams in the WSL were criticised for not having a diverse mix of players in their squads. For players like Khiara, growing up without having female football players of ethnic minority to look up to made it difficult for her to dream she could do the same.
Signing her first professional contract for City
Khiara described signing her first professional contract as “a turning stone in her career”. She was first introduced to the first team at the age of 16. Being a teenager in a senior set up meant Khiara had to mature quickly, but the step up didn’t faze her. She spent time on loan to AFC Fylde and previous Championship side Coventry United. This gave her confidence which has flourished over the past 3 years.
Keating made her senior debut in January 2022 in the Continental Cup. Keeping a clean sheet in their 5-0 victory over Leicester showed early signs of her capabilities. Since then, she has been a regular face in the Manchester City squad.
Her big break came at the start of the 2023/24 season. In previous campaigns, Khiara struggled to get minutes behind the likes of Ellie Roebuck and Sandy Maclver. The opening game against West Ham was her chance to shine. With another clean sheet under her belt, Gareth put full faith in the youngster when they faced Chelsea the following weekend. This game hit the headlines but for reasons that weren’t positive. 11 yellow cards resulting in 2 reds along with a late equaliser for Chelsea gave fans a lot to speak about.
Despite the dramatics caused by some questionable decisions from the officials, it was Khiara’s name which shone in the spotlight. An outstanding performance amongst the chaos led to her receiving player of the match, an achievement she was proud of.
Throughout this season, Khiara has had many successes, including receiving player of the month and a stand out performance in their 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup.
Dealing with pressure
Being 19 and playing for one of the biggest teams in England comes with its pressures. Making mistakes on the big stage can lead to negative comments especially on social media.
“I feel like it is a lot of pressure, especially being at such a big club who’s got such big expectations to win titles and have good performances. But I feel like I’ve dealt with it this season, like, as best as I can”.
Khiara has proved that she can overcome set backs, and below, she shares how her team mates played a big part in this.
First England Call-up
After an outstanding start to the new season, Keating caught the eye of England boss Sarina Wiegman. Ahead of the 2023 October camp, Khiara received her first senior call-up. The story is quite a funny one. In an interview with Sky Sports she explained how she missed the first call as she was driving.
“I thought maybe I should call her back to see what she wants!” joked Keating. “She delivered the great news and then I was just buzzing.”
At just 19 years old, Khiara could make history in being the first female ethnic minority Lioness goalkeeper. Although she didn’t feature in any of the games during her first camp, the experience is one she will cherish forever. With the European Qualifies coming up, Keating will be hoping to make her international debut. The likes of Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton are her current competitors but her talent is too good to not feature in the squad.
“I think just being so young and everything happening so fast, I didn’t expect Sarina to call me that day and tell me that I was going to camp’.
“That’s probably one of my highlights of my career so far… Being called up at 19 is just something I’ll never forget”.
Signing a professional contract is one thing, but representing your country is an achievement that not many people experience. Turning up to her first camp brought exciting but nervous feelings for the youngster. With 8 of the City players also being called up, Khiara said, “it’s always nice seeing familiar faces”.
“The rest of the girls, Mary and Millie have all been so welcoming. I feel like I fit right in and everyone’s just accepted me for being me which is nice. I feel like it’s just a homely environment and yeah, very welcoming”.
What does the future hold?
For such a young player, Khiara has shown confidence on the pitch. Her technical ability as well as her composure in pressured situations is what makes her such a naturally gifted footballer.
She has recently signed a new contract for Manchester City until 2027. With the potential to win the WSL this season, Khiara also has her eyes on some personal goals.
“Personal awards like young player of the year, golden glove, or trophies like that I do want to win and at least be in contention for”.
Keating has a bright future ahead and we can’t wait to follow her on her amazing football journey. If you want to watch Khiara in action click here to see a list of Manchester City’s remaining fixtures for 2023/24.
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