Leanne Kiernan

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Leanne Kiernan
Leanne Kiernan Lewes FC Women 0 West Ham Utd Women 5 pre season 12 08 2018-758 (43300204544) (cropped).jpg
Kiernan playing for West Ham United in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth (1999-04-27) 27 April 1999 (age 24)
Place of birth Bailieborough, Ireland
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Liverpool
Number 9
Youth career
Bailieboro Celtic
Kingscourt Harps AFC
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2015–2018 Shelbourne 32 (34)
2018–2021 West Ham United 31 (3)
2021– Liverpool 32 (14)
International career
2016 Republic of Ireland U17 5 (3)
2017 Republic of Ireland U19 5 (6)
2018– Republic of Ireland 28 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:27, 19 December 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09:42, 27 November 2023 (UTC)

Leanne Kiernan (born 27 April 1999) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for English Women's Super League club Liverpool FC and the Republic of Ireland national team.

Contents

Early life

Born in Bailieborough in County Cavan, Kiernan attended Bailieborough Community School, where she played for the girls futsal team. She played with Bailieboro Celtic and, at the age of 12, with the boys team at Kingscourt Harps, where she was spotted by FAI scout Mark Leavy and selected for their emerging talent programme. [1] Outside of soccer, Kiernan had been an accomplished cross-country runner, winning the Ulster club juvenile cross-country championship four times with Shercock Athletic Club, and finishing fourth in the Irish U-13 cross-country championships in 2011. She also played Gaelic football for Cavan up to U-16 level. She lived with her family on a pig farm in Killinkere. [2]

Club career

Shelbourne

Kiernan joined Shelbourne at the age of 15. [2] On 1 May 2016, she scored the winner for Shelbourne against UCD Waves in the WNL Cup final at Richmond Park. [3] In the 2015–16 season, she scored 5 goals. [4] In 2016, she scored 12 goals [5] and was part of the "invincible" Shelbourne side that won the WNL without losing a single game. [6] On 6 November 2016, she scored a hat-trick against Wexford Youths in the FAI Women's Cup final. [7] In January 2017, she was named Young Player of the Year at 2016 Continental Tyres Women's National League Awards, earning a spot in the Team of the Year as well. [8] The following week, she was also named Sportswoman of the Month for December 2016 by The Irish Times . [3] On 22 August 2017, she made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut in a 0–0 draw with KKPK Medyk Konin. She finished the 2017 season with 9 goals. [9] Kiernan began the 2018 season with 11 goals in her first six games – taking her total to 37 league goals in her three-and-a-half years with Shelbourne – before her departure in July. [10]

West Ham United

On 18 July 2018, Kiernan signed with West Ham United. [11] [12] On 19 August 2018, she made her debut in a 3–1 loss to Arsenal in the FA WSL Cup. [13] On 26 August 2018, she scored her first goal in a 4–1 win over Lewes. [14]

On 21 May 2021 Kiernan left West Ham following the expiry of her contract. [15]

Liverpool

On 22 June 2021, Kiernan signed for Liverpool F.C. Women, where she was re-united with her former West Ham manager Matt Beard and was assigned the number 9 jersey. [16] She recovered from shin splints which had disrupted her progress and recaptured her goal scoring form in the 2021–22 FA Women's Championship season. [17] She scored 13 goals for the title-winning Liverpool team who won promotion back to the Women's Super League, and signed a new contract with Liverpool in September 2022. [18] On the opening day of the 2022–23 Women's Super League season, Kiernan suffered an ankle injury in Liverpool's 2–1 win over Chelsea which required surgery and ruled her out for several months. [19]

International career

Kiernan received a senior call-up in August 2016, first coming into the squad for two challenge matches against Wales in Newport. [3] She scored the winner on her competitive debut, a 2–1 victory against the Basque Country at Tallaght Stadium on 26 November 2016. [20] She was not named in Ireland's 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup squad. [21]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 17 December 2023' [22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational Cup [lower-alpha 1] League Cup [lower-alpha 2] Europe [lower-alpha 3] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Shelbourne 2016 Women's National League 121135001516
2017Women's National League121200211413
2018Women's National League8110010101011
Total32343531103940
West Ham 2018–19 Women's Super League 1520021173
2019–20 Women's Super League910042133
2020–21 Women's Super League700032102
Total3130095408
Liverpool 2021–22 Championship 221320212614
2022–23 Women's Super League20000020
2023–24 Women's Super League40003070
Total281320513514
Career total9150551771011462

International

As of match played 22 June 2023. [23]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Republic of Ireland 201610
201770
201874
201950
202010
202120
202240
202310
Total284
Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goals first, score column indicates score after each Kiernan goal.
International goals scored by Leanne Kiernan
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef.
121 January 2018 Estádio de São Miguel, The Azores, PortugalFlag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 2–03–1 Friendly [24]
26 April 2018 Tallaght Stadium, Tallaght, Republic of Ireland Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia 1–02–1 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Qualification [25]
331 August 2018 Tallaght Stadium, Tallaght, Republic of IrelandUlster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 1–04–0
43–0

Honours

Club

Shelbourne
Liverpool FC

Individual

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References

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  2. 1 2 Foley, Cliona (9 February 2017). "Lure of pigs and the land still strong for Shelbourne's Leanne Kiernan". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Hannigan, Mary (19 January 2017). "Leanne Kiernan – Sportswoman of the Month for December". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
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  7. "Shel-shocking the Aviva and a dazzling year in green: Leanne Kiernan's 2016". The42. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
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  14. "From Leaving Cert to London: The Irish teen prodigy making an impact on both sides of the water". The42. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
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  17. Cummiskey, Gavin (20 October 2021). "Leanne Kiernan: 'Sometimes you have to take to a step back to take two steps forward'". The Irish Times . Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  18. "Ireland striker Kiernan handed new deal at Liverpool". The 42.ie. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  19. "Liverpool striker Leanne Kiernan set to miss several months with ankle injury which may require surgery". BBC Sport. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  20. "Stephanie Roche on target as Ireland women give Sue Ronan the perfect send-off". The42. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  21. Pyne, Anthony (28 June 2023). "Mannion, Campbell & Kiernan miss out on World Cup". RTÉ Sport .
  22. "Republic of Ireland - L. Kiernan - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
  23. "Matches". Football Association of Ireland. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  24. "Kiernan shines in dominant Portugal victory". FAI. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  25. "Super-sub Barrett secures Slovak win". FAI. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
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