Missy Bo Kearns

Last updated

Missy Bo Kearns
Missy-Bo-Kearns.jpg
Kearns with Liverpool in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-04-14) 14 April 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Liverpool, England [1]
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Aston Villa
Number 7
Youth career
Liverpool
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018–2024 Liverpool 79 (11)
2019–2020 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 3 (0)
2024– Aston Villa 7 (0)
International career‡
2018 England U17 10 (1)
2019–2021 England U19 6 (1)
2021– England U23 18 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 April 2024

Missy Bo Kearns (born 14 April 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Women's Super League club Aston Villa and captains the England under-23 team. With Liverpool, she was a Championship winner and has twice been awarded Women's Player of the Season. Kearns previously represented England at under-17 and under-19 youth levels.

Contents

Early life

Kearns was born on 14 April 2001 in Liverpool, England. She grew up supporting Liverpool and regularly attended their matchday. [2] Kearns joined Liverpool's youth academy when she was eight years old [3] after being scouted as the only girl playing in the local grassroots team Mossley Hill, alongside future Liverpool player Curtis Jones. [4]

Club career

Kearns made her first team debut for Liverpool in March 2019 against Chelsea. She signed her first professional contract with the club in January 2020 and joined Blackburn Rovers on loan until the end of the 2019–20 season, [5] making a total of three appearances for the club. [6]

Kearns saw a significant increase game time during the 2020–21 season and established herself as a first team regular for Liverpool towards the second half of the season. [7] On 17 January 2021, she scored her first senior goal for the club in a 2–1 league loss against Leicester City. [8] At the end of the 2020–21 season, Kearns won the Standard Chartered Women's Player of the Season and was voted the fan's player of the year. [9]

Kearns (left) playing for Liverpool against Lewes, 1 May 2022. Lewes FC Women 2 Liverpool 1 01 05 2022-446 (52043551627).jpg
Kearns (left) playing for Liverpool against Lewes, 1 May 2022.

On 13 October 2021, at the age of 20, she became the youngest player to ever captain the side in a 2021–22 League Cup match against Aston Villa. [10] [11] She would go on to captain the side again in the competition against Blackburn Rovers a month later in a 2–1 victory. [12]

In May 2023, Kearns won the Women's Football Awards Young Player of the Year award, [13] being recognised as one of the WSL's brightest young talents alongside Lauren James. [14] In June, she again won the LFC Women's Player of the Season award for the 2022–23 season. [15]

In August 2023, she signed a contract extension with Liverpool, [16] and was nominated for the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year Award. [17] In November 2023, she was named Women’s Rising Star at the Northwest Football Awards. [18]

In May 2024, Kearns was awarded The PFA Community Champions Award alongside outgoing men's manager Jürgen Klopp and men's first team captain Virgil Van Dijk for their work in the community. [19]

On 1 August 2024, Kearns departed from Liverpool and signed a three-year contract with fellow Women's Super League club Aston Villa. [20] [21] [22]

International career

Kearns currently captains the England under-23s, [23] having played for the U17s and U19s.

On 16 March 2018, Kearns was named as part of the England under-17s squad for 2018 U-17 Championship qualification. [24] She made her youth international debut on 25 March 2018, coming on as a substitute against Slovenia in a 0–0 draw. [25] Her debut goal came three days later against Switzerland in a 4–0 win. [26] In May 2018, Kearns was named as part of the squad for the final tournament, [27] where she was forced off injured during the knock-out stage. [28]

On 30 September 2019, Kearns was named in the England under-19s squad for the 2020 U-19 Championship first qualifying round. [29] She played in each match as England reached the elite qualifying round, after winning all their first round qualification matches. [30] The final tournament was subsequently cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [31] On 6 March 2020, Kearns scored her first goal for the U19 team, an equaliser as a second-half substitute against Sweden in La Manga Tournament. [32]

On 12 October 2021, Kearns was named as part of the England under-23s squad for a fixture against Belgium, [33] playing as a substitute in the match. [34] On 30 November, as part of the starting eleven with the under-23s, she scored a hat-trick in an 11–0 win over Estonia. [35]

From February to October 2022, Kearns played in U23 fixtures against France, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, [36] as well as scoring goals against France and Norway. [37]

It's a massive thing captaining your country and I'm fortunate enough to be given the opportunity. We've got a good group of girls and I think it's a good thing for me at this stage in my career to have that bit of extra responsibility and to be a character in and around the team.

Missy Bo Kearns,November 2023 [23]

On 20 February 2023 she scored the opening goal in a 4–0 victory over Belgium [38] and a winning goal in injury time against Portugal in a 3–2 win. [39] In September 2023, Kearns was named as part of the U23 squad for fixtures in a new U23 European League, [40] [41] where she would go on to captain the team in a 1–1 draw against Norway and a 4–0 win against Belgium. [42] For the remainder of 2023, she continued to captain the team in U23 European League fixtures against Italy, Portugal, France and Spain, [43] with the team ending 2023 unbeaten. [44] [45]

In May 2024, Kearns was named in the stand-by squad for the England senior team for their UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying fixtures in summer 2024. [46] In October, she was selected for the England under-23 team for European fixtures against Netherlands and Portugal. [47]

Personal life

Kearns is a lifelong Liverpool fan [9] and her idol is their former player Steven Gerrard. She is also a big fan of Uruguayan footballer Luis Suarez. [23]

On 27 January 2024, Kearns became an ambassador for the LFC Foundation, the official charity of Liverpool F.C. [48]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 5 October 2024 [6]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [a] League cup [b] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool 2018–19 Women's Super League 30000030
2019–20 Women's Super League00003131
2020–21 Championship 1521030192
2021–22 Championship1942050264
2022–23 Women's Super League2241051285
2023–24 Women's Super League2012020240
Total79116018210312
Blackburn Rovers (loan) 2019–20 Championship30000030
Aston Villa 2024–25 Women's Super League30001040
Career total85116019211012

Honours

Liverpool

Individual

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References

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  2. ↑ "'I don't think it's sunk in that I'm a Liverpool player' - Reds star Missy Bo Kearns is living the dream | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "lfc_fixture_women_player_profile". Liverpool FC. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
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  34. ↑ Smith, Frank (25 October 2021). "Belgium 0-1 England WU23s". England Football. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
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  46. ↑ Sanders, Emma (14 May 2024). "England recall fit-again Bright for Euro qualifiers". BBC Sport . Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
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  49. ↑ Shaw, Chris (25 May 2021). "Missy Bo Kearns wins Standard Chartered Women's Player of the Season". Liverpool FC. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
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