Katie Zelem

Katie Zelem
Personal information
Full name Katie Leigh Zelem[1]
Date of birth (1996-01-20) 20 January 1996
Place of birth Oldham, United Kingdom[2]
Height 163 cm (5 ft 4 in)[1]
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Liverpool Ladies
Number 20
Youth career
2004–2013 Manchester United CoE
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013– Liverpool Ladies 19 (5)
National team‡
2010 England Under-15 2 (1)
2011–12 England Under-17 14 (4)
2013–2015 England Under-19 30 (10)
2014– England Under-20 3 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 June 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 26 August 2015

Katie Leigh Zelem (born 20 January 1996) is an English football midfielder who plays for Liverpool Ladies of the FA WSL. She has also represented England at youth levels.[3]

Club career

Zelem started playing football when she was six. Her father had a big role in her early career. At the age of eight, she joined Manchester United Girls' Centre of Excellence. Her youth coach Emma Fletcher said Zelem showed a great attitude and appetence to learning and understanding the game.[4] Matt Beard, Liverpool Ladies' coach signed Zelem as a promising midfielder in 2013. Zelem is an attacking midfielder with two good feet, who can pick a pass out and finish as well. She was in the Liverpool squad for the first time on 8 August 2013, when Liverpool lost 0–1 to Arsenal Ladies but she did not play.

Zelem, who came back from her broken collarbone injury in early 2014, made her debut for the senior team on 29 June 2014 against Arsenal Ladies and played for 58 minutes before being replaced by Nina Pedersen.[5] A week later, Zelem scored her first goal for the senior team in a Continental Cup match against Durham Women's F.C. in which her side won 7–1[6] with Zelem scoring two goals, as both of them were headers and all assisted by Lucy Bronze.

In November 2015 Zelem penned a new contract with Liverpool.[7]

International career

Zelem debuted for England as she played in a dual-game versus Netherlands in March 2010, and she also scored her debut goal. Zelem is one of 21 players who represented England in the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Canada. Coached by Mo Marley, Zelem became the power and playmaker of England's midfield line. Unfortunately for Zelem, England did not get through to the knock-out phrase of the tournament after being defeated by Nigeria 2–1 in the last game of group C.

Achievements and Personal Life

Zelem greatly admired Fara Williams, who became her role model in developing the game as a midfielder. Zelem considered herself fortunate that she can learn and play along a hard-working figure like Williams.[8] Beard also praised Zelem, likening her to Frank Lampard and stating she has great career in the future.[9]

Zelem was the 2014 Liverpool Ladies Young Player of The Year and was also nominated for Women's Super League Development Player of the Year with Carla Humphrey and Natasha Baptiste by the FA.[10]

Speaking in 2014, Martha Harris, Zelem's best friend and Liverpool team-mate, rated Zelem as "a very cheeky player [who is] clever on the pitch but is also a risk taker"[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "List of Players - England" (PDF). FIFA. 4 August 2014. p. 5. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "The future is bright for women's football". Manchester United Foundation. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "TheFA.com - Katie Zelem". FA. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Katie Zelem - Season Review 2011/12". Manchester United Foundation. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Liverpool Ladies 0 - 1 Arsenal Ladies". Liverpool L.F.C. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Durham Women FC 1 - 7 Liverpool Ladies". Liverpool L.F.C. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Liverpool Ladies trio pen new contracts". Liverpool F.C. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "Katie Zelem". Sports Aid. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Women's football: Liverpool Ladies boss hails midfielder Katie Zelem's potential". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Liverpool Ladies midfielder Katie Zelem is overwhelmed with her nomination for Women's Super League Development Player of the Year". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  11. ↑ "Who's Who in the England squad with Martha Harris". Girls on the Ball. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
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