Kim Little facts for kids
Little playing for Arsenal in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 June 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Mintlaw, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 feet 4 inches (1.62 m) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Arsenal | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2004 | Buchan Girls FC | ||
| 2005–2006 | Hibs Girls FC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2008 | Hibernian Ladies | 48 | (88) |
| 2008–2013 | Arsenal | 87 | (54) |
| 2014–2016 | Seattle Reign | 63 | (32) |
| 2015–2016 | → Melbourne City (loan) | 12 | (9) |
| 2017– | Arsenal | 111 | (32) |
| 2022 | → OL Reign (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007–2008 | Scotland U19 | 8 | (6) |
| 2007–2021 | Scotland | 140 | (59) |
| 2012–2021 | Great Britain | 9 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Kim Alison Little (born on June 29, 1990) is a Scottish professional footballer. She plays as a midfielder and is the captain for Arsenal in the English Women's Super League. Before she stopped playing internationally in 2021, Kim was the vice-captain of the Scotland national team.
Kim started her senior career at Hibernian. There, she won the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish Women's Cup, and the Scottish Premier League Cup in the 2006–2007 season. With Arsenal, she has won many titles, including the Premier League National Division twice, the League Cup five times, and the WSL and FA Cup three times. When she played for Seattle Reign, Kim won the Golden Boot and was named the Most Valuable Player.
Kim began playing for Scotland at age 16 in 2007. She scored Scotland's first hat trick in 2012. She also helped her team qualify for Euro 2017 and the 2019 World Cup. She was chosen to play for the Great Britain squad in the 2012 London Olympics and again in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In 2010, she was named the FA's Women's Player of the Year. In 2013, she received the first-ever PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year award. In 2016, she won the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award. Since 2019, Kim has been part of the PFA WSL Team of the Year three times.
Contents
Early Life and Football Journey
Kim Little was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. She grew up in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire. Kim started playing football when she was very young with her dad and brother. She played for her primary school, Mintlaw Primary School, and for Mintlaw Boys Club.
From age 10 to 14, she played for Buchan Girls. Then, in 2005, she joined the Hibernian Girls team. When she was 13, she went to Mintlaw Academy. While playing for Hibernian Girls, Kim would travel about three and a half hours each way from Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh for practice.
Kim said that football gave her many chances from a young age. She loved traveling and playing in different places against good players from all over Europe. This made her want to keep playing even more. Kim also went to the University of Hertfordshire. She earned a degree in Sports Studies while playing for Arsenal.
Club Career Highlights
Starting with Hibernian (2006–2008)
Kim Little made her first appearance for Hibernian when she was 16. This was during a UEFA Women's Cup match in August 2006. Hibs signed Kim and other young players to replace older players who had left.
In her first league game, she scored three goals against Hutchison Vale. During the 2006–07 season, Hibs won every match and became the SWPL champions. They also won the Scottish Women's Cup. Kim scored 55 goals in 30 games that season. In the next season, she won the SWPL Cup. She scored 33 goals in 18 games before leaving Hibernian.
Joining Arsenal (2008–2013)
In March 2008, at age 17, Kim joined Arsenal. She scored her first goal for the club in April. Arsenal manager Vic Akers said, "Make a note of this kid, she's going to be a big player."
Kim played in almost every league game during the 2008–09 season, scoring 24 goals. Arsenal finished first in the league. She also helped Arsenal win the Premier League Cup and the FA Women's Cup. Kim later said that the 2008–09 season was her favorite. Arsenal won three trophies even though some top players had left.
In the 2009–10 season, Kim continued to score many goals from midfield. She scored 47 goals in all competitions. The team finished first in the league, and Kim was the top scorer with 22 goals. She was named FA Players' Player of the Year in June 2010.
In 2011, the FA WSL became the top women's football league in England. Kim was the second-highest scorer in the league with nine goals. Arsenal finished first in the league. In the 2011 FA Women's Cup Final, Kim was named Player of the Match. She scored the first goal in Arsenal's 2–0 win. Arsenal manager Laura Harvey called Kim "world class."
In the 2012 season, Kim was the league's top scorer with 11 goals. Arsenal won their ninth English title without losing a game. Kim was voted Women's Players' Player of the Year for 2012–13. This was the first time this award was given to women. She said it was "fantastic" to win the first award.
Before the 2013 season, Arsenal's coach Laura Harvey left for Seattle Reign FC in the United States. Under a new coach, Arsenal finished third in the league. Kim scored three goals in 14 games that season.
Playing for Seattle Reign FC (2014–2016)
In November 2013, Kim left Arsenal to join Seattle Reign FC in the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Her former coach, Laura Harvey, was now coaching Seattle Reign and wanted Kim to join her team. Harvey said Kim was "world-class" and would be a great help to the team.
In her first game for the Reign, Kim scored two goals. She was named NWSL Player of the Month three times in a row. Her five goals in five games tied a league record. Seattle won the 2014 NWSL Shield (regular season title) with a great record. Kim scored one goal in the playoff semi-final, helping the Reign reach the final. The team lost the final game.
Kim was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in her first season. Her 16 goals also earned her the Golden Boot award. She also had seven assists, which was the second-highest in the league.
In the 2015 season, Kim was the team's top scorer with 10 goals. Her seven assists were the most in the league. The Reign won the NWSL Shield for the second year in a row. They reached the championship final again but lost 1–0. Kim was named to the NWSL Best XI team.
In the 2016 season, Kim scored six goals and had two assists. Seattle finished fifth, just missing the playoffs. On October 17, 2016, Kim announced she would return to Arsenal.
Loan to Melbourne City FC (2015–2016)
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In October 2015, Kim joined Australian team Melbourne City on loan. She played 12 games and scored 9 goals. Melbourne City won both the regular season and the Grand Final. Kim was named Player of the Match in the Grand Final. She later said her time in Australia was a "one year thing."
Back to Arsenal (2017–present)
In May 2017, Kim injured her knee during training with Arsenal. This meant she missed most of the season. In March 2018, Arsenal won the FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup final, beating Manchester City 1–0.
Kim broke a bone in her leg in October 2018 during a game against Chelsea. Arsenal won the 2018–19 Super League. This was their first league championship in seven years.
Kim signed a new contract with Arsenal in August 2019. She had foot surgery in February 2020. In April 2023, Kim had to miss the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury.
Kim scored a penalty in a 3–1 win over Manchester United. This game was the first sold-out Super League match at Emirates Stadium. At the start of the 2024/25 season, Kim scored another penalty in Arsenal’s 6–0 win against Rangers in the UEFA Women's Champions League.
Loan to OL Reign (2022)
Kim returned to her former club, OL Reign, for a short loan in June 2022.
International Career
Playing for Scotland
Kim Little first played for the Scotland national team in February 2007. She was only 16 years old. Coach Anna Signeul believed Kim was a special talent with great skill and speed. Kim scored her first international goal in March 2008.
In March 2011, Kim scored the first goal in Scotland's 2–0 win against England. This was only the second time Scotland had beaten England in women's football. On June 16, 2012, Kim scored Scotland's first-ever hat trick in an 8–0 win against Israel.
Kim missed Euro 2017 because of her injury. After she recovered, she helped Scotland qualify for the 2019 FIFA World Cup. This was Scotland's first time in a World Cup. Kim scored a goal in a key win against Switzerland during qualification.
Before the 2019 World Cup, Kim scored in a 1–0 friendly win against Brazil. At the 2019 World Cup, she scored the first goal in a 3–3 draw with Argentina. In Scotland's first game after the World Cup, Kim scored five goals in an 8–0 win against Cyprus.
On September 1, 2021, Kim announced she was retiring from the Scottish national team. She played 140 games and scored 59 goals for Scotland.
Playing for Great Britain Olympic Team
Kim Little wanted to play for the Great Britain team at the 2012 London Olympics. She said it was the "biggest sporting event ever." Kim was chosen for the 18-player squad. She was one of only two Scottish players picked by coach Hope Powell.
Kim helped the team win their second group match, a 3–0 victory against Cameroon. Great Britain won all three group games and moved to the quarter-finals. They played against Canada but lost 2–0 and were out of the tournament.
Kim was again chosen for the Great Britain team for the 2020 Summer Olympics. These games were held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Great Britain reached the quarter-finals again but lost 4–3 to Australia.
How Kim Little Plays
Kim Little usually plays as an attacking midfielder. This means she plays further up the field to help score goals. When she plays for Scotland, she sometimes plays a bit deeper. Kim said in 2012 that most of her goals come from midfield. She always tries to run forward, be positive, and create scoring chances.
Personal Life
In 2014, Kim Little shared that she was in a long-term relationship with fellow professional footballer Tom Pett.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Cups | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hibernian | 2006–07 | SWPL 1 | 30 | 55 | ||||||
| 2007–08 | 18 | 33 | ||||||||
| Total | 48 | 88 | ||||||||
| Arsenal | 2007–08 | WPL | 8 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||
| 2008–09 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | 21 | 11 | |||
| 2009–10 | 22 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 30 | 35 | ||
| 2011 | WSL | 12 | 9 | — | 8 | 3 | 20 | 12 | ||
| 2012 | 14 | 11 | — | 8 | 3 | 22 | 14 | |||
| 2013 | 14 | 3 | — | 4 | 5 | 18 | 8 | |||
| Total | 87 | 54 | 7 | 7 | 25 | 20 | 119 | 81 | ||
| Seattle Reign FC | 2014 | NWSL | 23 | 16 | 2 | 1 | — | 25 | 17 | |
| 2015 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 10 | |||
| 2016 | 20 | 6 | — | — | 20 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 63 | 32 | 4 | 1 | — | 67 | 33 | |||
| Melbourne City (loan) | 2015–16 | W-League | 12 | 9 | — | — | 12 | 9 | ||
| Arsenal | 2017 | WSL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 3 | |||
| 2018–19 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 3 | — | 19 | 11 | |||
| 2019–20 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 12 | ||
| 2020–21 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 5 | |||
| 2021–22 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 39 | 11 | ||
| 2022–23 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 23 | 8 | ||
| 2023–24 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 20 | 1 | ||
| Total | 111 | 32 | 28 | 10 | 35 | 11 | 174 | 53 | ||
| OL Reign (loan) | 2022 | NWSL | 6 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 327+ | 215+ | 39 | 18 | 60 | 31 | 426 | 264 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| Year | Scotland | Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2007 | 9 | 0 | — | |
| 2008 | 14 | 3 | ||
| 2009 | 11 | 1 | ||
| 2010 | 14 | 9 | ||
| 2011 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 2012 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 2013 | 16 | 4 | — | |
| 2014 | 13 | 6 | ||
| 2015 | 10 | 9 | ||
| 2016 | 4 | 1 | ||
| 2017 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2018 | 6 | 3 | ||
| 2019 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 140 | 59 | 8 | 0 |
- Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Little goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 March 2008 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Russia |
2–3 | 2008 Cyprus Cup | |
| 2 | 17 September 2008 | McDiarmid Park, Perth, Scotland | .svg){kind=small} Switzerland |
4–0 | Friendly | |
| 3 | 28 September 2008 | McDiarmid Park, Perth, Scotland |  Slovakia |
6–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying | |
| 4 | 29 October 2009 | Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland |  Georgia |
3–1 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 5 | 3 March 2010 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus |  South Africa |
2–1 | 2010 Cyprus Cup | |
| 6 | 1 April 2010 | Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk, Scotland |  Bulgaria |
8–1 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 7 | ||||||
| 8 | 23 May 2010 | Strathclyde Homes Stadium, Dumbarton, Scotland |  Northern Ireland |
2–0 | Friendly | |
| 9 | 5 June 2010 | Stadion Niedermatten, Wohlen, Aargau, Switzerland | Switzerland |
3–3 | Friendly | |
| 10 | ||||||
| 11 | 19 June 2010 | Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria | Bulgaria |
5–0 | Friendly | |
| 12 | 23 June 2010 | Proszowianka Proszowice, Proszowice, Poland |  Poland |
2–1 | Friendly | |
| 13 | ||||||
| 14 | 4 March 2011 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  England |
2–0 | 2011 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
| 15 | 21 August 2011 | Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk, Scotland | Switzerland |
5–0 | Friendly | |
| 16 | 12 October 2011 | Ness Ziona Stadium, Ness Ziona, Israel |  Israel |
6–1 | UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying | |
| 17 | ||||||
| 18 | 6 March 2012 | Paralimni Stadium, Paralimni, Cyprus | South Africa |
2–0 | 2012 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
| 19 | ||||||
| 20 | 26 May 2012 | Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy, Scotland |  Sweden |
1–4 | Friendly | |
| 21 | 16 June 2012 | Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland | Israel |
8–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying | |
| 22 | ||||||
| 23 | ||||||
| 24 | 15 September 2012 | Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, Wales | .svg){kind=small} Wales |
2–1 | UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying | |
| 25 | 20 October 2012 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland |  Spain |
1–1 | UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying | |
| 26 | 24 October 2012 | La Ciudad del Fútbol, Las Rozas, Spain | Spain |
2–3 | UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying | |
| 27 | 9 February 2013 | EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida, United States |  United States |
1–4 | Friendly | |
| 28 | 8 March 2013 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | England |
4–4 | 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
| 29 | 13 March 2013 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Netherlands |
1–0 | 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
| 30 | 26 September 2013 | Fir Park, Motherwell, Scotland |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
7–0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 31 | 13 February 2014 | Eerikkilän Urheiluopisto, Eerikkilä, Finland |  Finland |
1–3 | Friendly | |
| 32 | 12 March 2014 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus |  South Korea |
1–1 | 2014 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
| 33 | 14 June 2014 | Fir Park, Motherwell, Scotland | Sweden |
1–3 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 34 | 19 June 2014 | Solitude, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland |
2–0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 35 | 13 September 2014 | Fir Park, Motherwell, Scotland |  Faroe Islands |
9–0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 36 | 25 October 2014 | Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland | Netherlands |
1–2 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 37 | 6 March 2015 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus |  Italy |
2–3 | 2015 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
| 38 | 9 March 2015 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | South Korea |
2–1 | 2015 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
| 39 | 11 March 2015 | Ammochostos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | Netherlands |
3–1 | 2015 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
| 40 | ||||||
| 41 | ||||||
| 42 | 22 September 2015 | Ajdovščina Stadium, Ajdovščina, Slovenia |  Slovenia |
3–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying | |
| 43 | ||||||
| 44 | ||||||
| 45 | 27 October 2015 | FFM Training Centre, Skopje, Macedonia |  Macedonia |
4–1 | UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying | |
| 46 | 8 April 2016 | St Mirren Park, Paisley, Scotland | Slovenia |
3–1 | UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying | |
| 47 | 23 January 2017 | Paralimni Stadium, Paralimni, Cyprus |  Denmark |
1–1 | Friendly | |
| 48 | 1 March 2017 | Ammochostos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus |  New Zealand |
3–2 | 2017 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
| 49 | 12 June 2018 | Kielce City Stadium, Kielce, Poland | Poland |
3–2 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 50 | 30 August 2018 | St Mirren Park, Paisley, Scotland | Switzerland |
2–1 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 51 | 4 September 2018 | Loro Borici Stadium, Shkoder, Albania |  Albania |
2–1 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | |
| 52 | 4 March 2019 | Bela Vista Municipal Stadium, Parchal, Portugal |  Iceland |
4–1 | 2019 Algarve Cup | |
| 53 | 8 April 2019 | Pinatar Arena Football Centre, San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain |  Brazil |
1–0 | Friendly | |
| 54 | 19 June 2019 | Parc des Princes, Paris, France |  Argentina |
3–3 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup | |
| 55 | 30 August 2019 | Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland |  Cyprus |
8–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2021 qualifying | |
| 56 | ||||||
| 57 | ||||||
| 58 | ||||||
| 59 |
Awards and Achievements
Kim Little was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2023 for her services to football.
Hibernian L.F.C.
- Scottish Premier League: 2006–07
- Scottish Women's Cup: 2006–07
- Scottish Premier League Cup: 2006–07
Arsenal W.F.C.
- Premier League National Division: 2008–09, 2009–10
- FA Women's Super League: 2011, 2012, 2018–19
- FA Cup: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
- Premier League Cup: 2008–09
- WSL Cup / FA Women's League Cup: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017–18, 2022–23, 2023–24
Seattle Reign FC
- NWSL Shield (regular season winners): 2014, 2015
Melbourne City FC
- W-League Champions (Grand Final winners): 2015–16
- W-League Premiers (regular season winners): 2015–16
Individual Awards
- BBC Women's Footballer of the Year: 2016
- PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year: 2013
- PFA WSL Team of the Year: 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22
- FA Women's Player of the Year: 2010
- FA Women's Cup Final Player of the Match: 2011
- NWSL Most Valuable Player: 2014
- NWSL Golden Boot: 2014
- NWSL Best XI: 2014, 2015
- W-League Player of Grand Final award: 2016
See also
In Spanish: Kim Little para niños
- List of women's footballers with 100 or more caps
- Scottish FA Women's International Roll of Honour
- List of Seattle Reign FC players
