Michelle Heyman facts for kids
.jpg)
Heyman playing for Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michelle Pearl Heyman | ||
| Date of birth | 4 July 1988 | ||
| 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) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Michelle Pearl Heyman (born 4 July 1988) is an Australian soccer player and commentator. As of 2024, she plays for Canberra United FC in Australia's A-League. She made history in March 2021 by becoming the all-time top goalscorer in the W-League, scoring her 73rd goal.
Heyman first played for the Matildas in 2010. She competed in major tournaments like the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup, the 2015 FIFA World Cup, and the 2016 Summer Olympics. After retiring from international football in May 2019, she made a comeback in January 2024. This happened when she was called to join the team after an injury to fellow Matildas' striker Sam Kerr.
She has also played for other W-League teams. These include Central Coast Mariners, Sydney FC, and Adelaide United. She also played for the Western New York Flash in the American National Women's Soccer League.
Contents
Playing for Soccer Clubs
Michelle Heyman started playing soccer at age 11 with the Warilla Wanderers. She later played for Port Kembla FC and Shellharbour City. Then, she joined Illawarra Stingrays in the New South Wales Women's Super League. She has often returned to play for the Stingrays during breaks from the W-League season.
Early Club Career
Before the 2008–09 W-League season, Heyman tried out for Sydney FC. She was one of only ten players chosen from 120 hopefuls to join the club.
Heyman then moved from Sydney FC to join Central Coast Mariners. In her very first game for the Mariners, she scored two goals against her old team, Sydney FC.
In 2009, Heyman won the Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals in the league. She also received the Julie Dolan Medal as the best player of the 2009 W-League season.
Time with Canberra United
In 2010, Heyman signed with Canberra United. During the 2011–12 W-League season, she was the top goal-scorer in the league. That season, Canberra United won both the W-League premiership and championship titles.
Heyman spent five months in 2012 playing in Denmark for Brøndby IF. She came back to Canberra United in time for the start of the 2012–13 W-League season.
On 9 July 2015, Heyman signed with the American team Western New York Flash. She played nine matches for them during the 2015 National Women's Soccer League season.
In 2016, she rejoined the Illawarra Stingrays. This was for 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. She had played for them for eight seasons. She appeared in 93 games for Canberra and scored 56 goals. She won the Golden Boot award twice and helped the team win two Championship Titles and three Premierships.
Later Club Moves
On 24 August 2018, Adelaide United announced they had signed Heyman. She joined them for a one-year contract for the 2018–19 W-League Season. After that season, Heyman left Adelaide.
She took a season off from playing soccer to coach at a Sydney high school. Then, Heyman returned to the W-League. She signed again with Canberra United.
On 13 January 2024, Heyman became the first W-League player to score 100 league goals. She reached this milestone with a goal in the 50th minute against Adelaide United.
Playing for Australia
Heyman made her first appearance for the national team, the Matildas, in 2010. She was part of the squad that finished as runners-up in the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup. 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. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Heyman was chosen for the Matildas squad for the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup. However, she did not play in any matches. Australia finished second to Japan and qualified for the 2019 FIFA World Cup. In May 2019, Heyman announced she was retiring from international football. She later shared that she had faced challenges with injuries.
In 2024, after an injury to Matildas' striker Sam Kerr, Heyman was called back to the squad. This was for the third round of the 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. She played in two matches against Uzbekistan. She scored in her first game back, opening the scoring in the 71st minute for a 3-0 win. In the second match, she scored 4 goals in the first half, leading to a 10-0 victory. Australia then qualified for the Olympics.
On 4 June 2024, Heyman was named to the Matildas team for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This was her second time being selected for the Olympics. She scored the winning goal in the Matildas' second group stage match, a 6–5 comeback victory over Zambia.
Achievements and Awards
Michelle Heyman has achieved many honors throughout her career:
Australia
- AFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016
Canberra United
Individual Awards
- Julie Dolan Medal: 2009, 2021
- W-League Golden Boot: 2009, 2011–12
More About Michelle Heyman
Heyman has spoken openly about facing physical injuries during her career.
Images for kids
-
Heyman playing for Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics
-
Heyman playing for Canberra United in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Michelle Heyman para niños
