The stopper signed a contract extension in November 2023, committing her future to the Club until 2027.
It’s been a breakout campaign for the 19-year-old, seeing her become a regular between the sticks for Gareth Taylor‘s side and earn a first senior England call-up.
A product of City’s youth academy, Keating first gained a taste for the beautiful game while growing up in Ardwick, on the doorstep of the City Football Academy.
Her family and local community remain an important part of the goalkeeper’s life, with her mum crucial in helping her on those first few steps into football.
Helping to run Healthy Ardwick FC, a joint venture with local Church networks and Khiara’s first team, Nicola would pick up the players in a minibus to travel to training and games.
It’s a world away from the bright lights of the WSL, but our goalkeeper stresses the importance influence of those first few years, and her mum, on the person she is today.
In the above video, Khiara and Nicola return to Nicholls Community Football Centre, where she would train and play as a youngster, to reflect on those times, as well as her outstanding campaign to date.
They also discuss our goalkeeper’s standout display against Chelsea in our first home game of 2023/24, and the importance of young girls and boys from Ardwick having a role model to look up to in Keating.
Hear Khiara and Nicola’s thoughts via the video above...
