The 19-year-old goalkeeper, who has started all six Barclays Women’s Super League fixtures this season, has committed to a new deal that will see her stay at the Joie Stadium until 2027.
Having risen through the ranks at Manchester City, this season is so far proving to be a breakthrough campaign for Keating.
As well as firmly establishing herself in Gareth Taylor’s first team with a string of impressive performances, Keating also received her first England senior call-up in October for two UEFA Women’s Nations League matches against Belgium.
Speaking about her contract extension, she said: “I’ve enjoyed every moment of the last eight years at this special club. Being a Manchester City player makes myself and my family proud every single day.
“The opportunities I have had have been a dream come true and to know I’m going to be here, my home, until 2027 is fantastic.
“Anything is possible with this team, and with the fans behind us I’m looking forward to seeing what the next few years bring.”
Head Coach Gareth Taylor added: “We’re really pleased that Khiara has extended her stay with the Club.
“The impact she has had on and off the pitch is clear to see and we are very happy that Khiara will be here until 2027. She has more than proven her worth during her career so far, and we’re looking forward to seeing what more she can achieve here at City.”
Director of Football Nils Nielsen continued: “I am really happy that a talented young player like Khiara has decided to commit her future to our Club.
“It’s been a real pleasure seeing her develop and I’m sure it will be a long and fruitful partnership. The sky is the limit for Khiara and I’m excited to see what more she can achieve here at City in the coming years.”
Wise Head, Young Shoulders
Through a combination of injuries and suspensions, circumstances dictated that Khiara Keating was thrown in at the deep end early in her senior career at Manchester City.
Her first team debut came in January 2022 when Karima Taieb was forced to withdraw in the warm-up ahead of a Continental Cup clash with Leicester in January 2022.
Keating, just 17 at the time, found out she’d be making her senior bow a matter of minutes before kick-off, but kept a clean sheet in a 5-0 victory.
A successful three-month loan spell at Coventry United would follow in 2022/23, with the youngster recalled to her parent Club for the final few weeks of the season, beginning with an impressive display against West Ham United.
And when Ellie Roebuck was given her marching orders just before the break at the Leigh Sports Village, Keating’s latest senior test would come in the cauldron of a Manchester derby.
City, down to ten and trailing by a goal, hit back through Filippa Angeldahl and were seconds from earning a point, helped in no small part by another assured performance by our young stopper.
And while we ultimately weren’t able to hold on, Keating’s display in such a highly charged environment provided further evidence of the exciting prospect City had on the books.
No wonder, then, that she claimed the Club’s Rising Star award at the end of the campaign.
Her obvious talent on the pitch aside, the 19-year-old’s self-assurance and mentality to handle the big occasion have already shone through on countless occasions.
“Khiara carries herself so well,” City’s goalkeeper coach Chris Williams explains.
“She’s obviously very bright and bubbly and she’s very personable. She can hold the room.
“She’s not afraid to show character. When you’ve got big personalities, like a Lucy Bronze at the time who had just won the Ballon d’Or [when Khiara joined the senior setup], but the next minute you see her doing TikTok videos with her..
“It’s like ‘you’re alright within the group’ and safe in that sort of social environment.”
Williams’ glowing assessment highlights another key asset of Keating’s.
She’s an incredibly popular member of Gareth Taylor’s side, regularly chosen by her team-mates as the funniest member of the squad.
Capable of connecting with both our longstanding senior players and the newer faces coming through the ranks, Keating is an example of the tight-knit relationship frequently referenced by players and staff alike at City.
Crucially though, she backs that up with an abundance of talent.
With excellent distribution and vision, the 19-year-old is comfortable building attacks from deep, a commodity of incredibly high value at the Club, while also being brave off her line to claim crosses or loose balls.
In short, Keating is more than capable of the modern-day sweeper ‘keeper role, while also not ignoring those more ‘traditional’ assets, such as commanding her area and her reflexes, as exemplified by her player of the match display against Chelsea in October 2023.
Taylor has handed Keating a regular starting berth at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign, and the teenager has repaid that faith with several assured displays, with a first senior England call-up following soon after.
Given that track record when under the microscope in the past, it’s no surprise that, so far, she’s passed that challenge with flying colours.
City career stats
Appearances: 14
Honours: Continental Cup (2021/22), Rising Star award (2022/23)
