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Michelle Heyman
Michelle Heyman 2016 (cropped).jpg
Heyman playing for Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics
Personal information
Full name Michelle Pearl Heyman
Date of birth (1988-07-04) 4 July 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Canberra United
Number 23
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008 Illawarra Stingrays
2008–2009 Sydney FC 3 (0)
2009 Central Coast Mariners 11 (11)
2010–2018 Canberra United 91 (51)
2012 Brøndby IF
2015 Western New York Flash 9 (1)
2016–2018 Illawarra Stingrays 11 (5)
2018–2019 Adelaide United 12 (1)
2020– Canberra United 68 (49)
National team
2010– Australia 74 (28)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 December 2024.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 December 2024

Michelle Pearl Heyman (born 4 July 1988) is an Australian soccer player and commentator who as of 2024 plays for Canberra United FC in the A-League in Australia. She became the all-time record goalscorer in the W-League in March 2021 after scoring her 73rd goal. Heyman first represented Australia in the Matildas in 2010, playing at the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup, the 2015 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. In May 2019, she retired from international football, but returned to the team in January 2024 when she was called up following an injury to Matildas' striker Sam Kerr.

She has previously played for W-League teams Central Coast Mariners, Sydney FC, and Adelaide United, as well as the Western New York Flash in the American National Women's Soccer League.

Early life and education

Michelle Pearl Heyman was born on 4 July 1988.

Club career

Michelleheyman canberra
Heyman playing for Canberra United in 2010

Heyman began playing at the age of 11 with the Warilla Wanderers. She later played for Port Kembla FC and Shellharbour City before signing with Illawarra Stingrays in the New South Wales Women's Super League (now NPL NSW Women's). She has returned to play for the Stingrays several times between W-League seasons.

Prior to the beginning of the 2008–09 W-League season, Heyman trialled for Sydney FC. Out of 120 triallists, she was one of only ten to be signed by the club.

Heyman signed from Sydney FC in the off-season to join Central Coast Mariners. On her debut for the Mariners, Heyman scored a double against her old club, Sydney FC.

In 2009, Heyman won the Golden Boot award for most goals scored during the League season along with the Julie Dolan Medal as the 2009 W-League player of the year.

In 2010, Heyman signed with Canberra United. During the 2011–12 W-League season, she was the leading goal-scorer in the league as Canberra United won the W-League premiership/championship double.

Heyman spent five months in 2012 playing in Denmark for Brøndby IF. She returned to Canberra United in time for the start of the 2012–13 W-League season.

On 9 July 2015, Heyman signed with US side Western New York Flash where she played nine matches in the 2015 National Women's Soccer League season.

In 2016, rejoined the Illawarra Stingrays in the NPL NSW Women's competition during the W-League off-season.

On 21 July 2018, it was announced that Heyman was leaving Canberra United after eight seasons. She made 93 appearances for Canberra, and scored 56 goals. She won the Golden Boot twice, and won two Championship Titles and three Premierships.

On 24 August 2018, Adelaide United announced they had signed Heyman to a one-year contract for the 2018–19 W-League Season. At the end of the season, Heyman left Adelaide. After a season not playing soccer but rather coaching at a Sydney secondary school, Heyman returned to the W-League, signing with Canberra United.

On 13 January 2024, Heyman became the first W-League player to score 100 league goals following a 50th minute goal against Adelaide United.

International career

Heyman made her debut for the national team, the Matildas, in 2010. She was part of the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup squad that finished the tournament as runners-up. Heyman played five matches for Australia at the 2015 FIFA World Cup. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Heyman played four matches for the Australian team that was eliminated in the quarter finals.

Heyman was named to the Matildas squad for the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup, but she did not appear in any matches. Australia finished runner-up to Japan and qualified for the 2019 FIFA World Cup. In May 2019 Heyman announced her retirement from international football. She later revealed that she had been fired from the team, after suffering from a number of physical injuries as well as mental health issues.

In 2024, following an injury to Matildas' striker Sam Kerr, Heyman was called up to the squad for the third round of the 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, for two matches against Uzbekistan. She scored in her first match back, opening scoring in the 71st minute for a 3-0 victory. In the second match, she scored 4 goals in the first half of the 10-0 victory. Australia qualified for the Olympics.

On 4 June 2024, Heyman was named in the Matildas team that qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, her second Olympic games selection. She scored the game-winning goal in the Matildas' second group stage match, a come-from-behind 6–5 victory over Zambia.

Career statistics

International goals

Scores and results list Australia's score first.

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 3 September 2011 Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Jinan, China Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand 2–0 5–1 2012 Olympics qualification
2 3–0
3 13 September 2012 Carroll Stadium, Indianapolis, United States Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti 4–0 4–0 Friendly
4 13 June 2013 Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, Australia Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 1–0 1–0 Friendly
5 5 March 2014 GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 2–2 2–2 2014 Cyprus Cup
6 10 March 2014 GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland 1–3 2–4 2014 Cyprus Cup
7 2–4
8 9 April 2014 Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, Brisbane, Australia Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 2–1 2–1 Friendly
9 10 February 2015 Bill McKinlay Park, Auckland, New Zealand Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea 2–1 2–1 Friendly
10 12 February 2015 Bill McKinlay Park, Auckland, New Zealand Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 2–0 3–2 Friendly
11 11 March 2015 Paralimni Stadium, Paralimni, Cyprus Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 4–1 6–2 2015 Cyprus Cup
12 19 May 2015 Valentine Sports Park, Sydney, Australia Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam 4–0 4–0 Friendly
13 21 May 2015 Jubilee Oval, Sydney, Australia Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam 2–0 11–0 Friendly
14 6–0
15 8–0
16 29 February 2016 Kincho Stadium, Osaka, Japan Flag of Japan.svg Japan 2–0 3–1 2016 Olympics qualifying
17 2 March 2016 Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam 8–0 9–0 2016 Olympics qualifying
18 7 March 2016 Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea 1–0 2–1 2016 Olympics qualifying
19 9 August 2016 Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe 5–0 6–1 2016 Summer Olympics
20 6–0
21 24 February 2024 Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan 1–0 3–0 2024 Olympics qualifying
22 28 February 2024 Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, Australia Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan 2–0 10–0 2024 Olympics qualifying
23 3–0
24 4–0
25 8–0
26 31 May 2024 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 1–1 1–1 Friendly
27 28 July 2024 Stade de Nice, Nice, France Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia 6–5 6–5 2024 Summer Olympics
28 7 December 2024 Kardinia Park, Geelong, Australia Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986–2010).svg Chinese Taipei 4–0 6–0 Friendly

Honours

Australia

  • AFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016
Canberra United
  • W-League Premiership: 2011–12, 2013–14
  • W-League Championship: 2011–12, 2014

Individual

  • Julie Dolan Medal: 2009, 2021
  • W-League Golden Boot: 2009, 2011–12

Personal life

Heyman is openly lesbian. She was the only openly lesbian Australian athlete at the 2016 Olympics.

Heyman has spoken openly about suffering from anxiety and panic attacks, as well as her physical injuries.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Michelle Heyman para niños

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