Nikita Parris facts for kids

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Nikita Parris

Parris playing for Manchester United in 2023

Personal information

Full name

Nikita Josephine Parris

Date of birth

10 March 1994 (age 31)

Place of birth

Toxteth, Liverpool, England

Height

1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)

Position(s)

Forward

Team information

Current team

Brighton & Hove Albion

Number

Youth career

Kingsley United

2008–2010

Everton

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2011–2015

Everton

(12)

2015

→ Manchester City (loan)

(4)

2016–2019

Manchester City

(33)

2019–2021

Olympique Lyonnais

(21)

2021–2022

Arsenal

(1)

2022–2024

Manchester United

(12)

2024–

Brighton & Hove Albion

(7)

International career^‡

2009–2010

England U17

(2)

2010–2013

England U19

(18)

2014

England U20

(1)

2014–2016

England U23

(6)

2016–

England

(17)

2021

Great Britain

(0)

Medal record


Women's football
Representing England
UEFA Women's Championship
Winner	2022 England

*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 May 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 April 2025

Nikita Josephine Parris (born 10 March 1994) is an English professional footballer. She plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Brighton & Hove Albion. Nikita also plays for the England national team. She has played for many top clubs, including Olympique Lyonnais, Manchester City, Everton, Arsenal, and Manchester United.

From 2018 to 2020, Nikita Parris was the top goal scorer in the Women's Super League. She has won many important trophies. With Olympique Lyonnais, she won the Champions League in 2020. She also won the French Cup and the International Champions Cup. With Manchester City, she won the league title in 2016. She also won the League Cup twice and the FA Cup twice.

Nikita Parris played for England's youth teams from under-17 to under-23. She was a runner-up in the 2013 U-19 Championship. She made her debut for the senior England team in 2016. She helped England reach the semi-finals of Euro 2017. She also helped them finish fourth at the 2019 World Cup. Her six goals in the World Cup qualifiers helped England get to the tournament. She helped England win the SheBelieves Cup in 2019 and the Arnold Clark Cup in 2022. Most notably, she helped England win the Euro 2022.

In 2019, Parris was named the FWA Women's Footballer of the Year. She was also listed among The 100 Best Female Footballers In The World by The Guardian in 2018 and 2019.

Early Life and Football Journey
Club Career Highlights
International Career
Awards and Achievements
Playing Style
Personal Life and Community Work
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Football Journey

Nikita Parris was born in Toxteth, a part of Liverpool, England. She grew up with her twin sister and two brothers. Her mother, Jo, worked three jobs to support the family.

Nikita went to St. Patrick's Primary School in Liverpool. She trained with the athletic team there. She dreamed of playing like Arsenal and Scotland player Julie Fleeting. When she was six, she started playing football with boys near her home. She continued playing with boys until she was sixteen. Her mother often saw her slide tackling the boys, or them tackling her!

When she was young, Nikita started her own football team. She said, "I started a football team myself at the age of eleven because I wanted to have a women’s team in the local community." She gathered all her friends and family. Her team, called Kingsley United, was very successful and won the league. Her sister and two cousins also played on the team. In 2022, a special plaque was put up at the club to honor Nikita.

Nikita was a big fan of Liverpool FC when she was a girl. Her mother often bought her the newest football kit. She loved to copy her favorite players like Michael Owen and Luis Suárez. When she was ten, Mo Marley, the coach of Everton, noticed her. Nikita joined Everton's Centre of Excellence when she was 14.

Nikita went to Bellerive FCJ Catholic College. In 2010, she moved to Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School. This school was special for sports. She later earned a degree in sports development from Liverpool John Moores University.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Everton

Nikita Parris made her first team debut for Everton in May 2010. She was only 16 years old. She played against Arsenal as a substitute. In August 2010, she played in a qualifying tournament for the 2010–11 UEFA Women's Champions League. She scored two goals in a 10–0 win against Borec. She played in five Champions League matches for Everton that season.

In 2011, she joined Everton's team for the first season of the Women's Super League (FA WSL). She played in three games that year. In the 2012 FA WSL season, she played in 10 matches. The 2013 season was when she started scoring many goals for Everton. She scored six goals in 11 games. She scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win against Notts County. Everton finished third in the league that season.

In the 2014 season, Nikita scored 11 goals in 19 games. However, Everton did not win any league games and moved down to FA WSL 2. After her great performance in 2014, she was nominated for the 2015 PFA Women's Young Player of the Year award. She was also named Everton's Player of the Year.

Time at Manchester City

Nikita Parris joined Manchester City on loan in January 2015. She wanted to play in the top league (WSL 1) to have a chance to play for the senior England team. She scored four goals in 13 matches. Her first goal for City was a winning goal against Sunderland. Manchester City finished second in the league that season.

Parris signed a permanent two-year contract with Manchester City in January 2016. In the 2016 FA WSL season, she scored one goal in 16 games. Manchester City finished first in the league. She also helped Manchester City win the 2016 League Cup.

Nikita Parris heading the ball during a Champions League match in 2017.

She made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut for Manchester City in October 2016. She helped Manchester City reach the semi-finals of the 2016–17 tournament. In early 2017, she scored three goals in six games during the FA WSL Spring Series. She also helped the club win the 2016–17 FA Women's Cup that year.

In the 2017–18 FA WSL season, she scored 11 goals in 18 games. She was the second-highest scorer in the league. She scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Sunderland. She also scored a hat-trick against Yeovil Town. Manchester City finished second in the league and qualified for the Champions League again. Parris scored four goals in the 2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League. She helped Manchester City reach the semi-finals again.

In November 2017, Parris signed a new contract with Manchester City. In the 2018–19 season, she scored 19 goals in 19 games. She became the Women's Super League's all-time top goal scorer in November 2018. She scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Liverpool, bringing her total to 37 goals. She said it was "an amazing feeling" to be the top scorer at such a young age. She scored her fourth set of two goals in a game against Brighton. She also scored three goals in one half against Reading. Manchester City finished second in the league.

Parris helped Manchester City win the 2018–19 FA Women's League Cup and the 2018–19 FA Women's Cup in front of over 43,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. In May 2019, Parris announced she would leave City. She played 127 games for the club and scored 62 goals. In 2019, she was named the Football Writers’ Association Women's Player of the Year.

Moving to Olympique Lyonnais

On 19 June 2019, French club Olympique Lyonnais signed Nikita Parris for three years. She scored her first goal for the club in her first game, a 6–0 win against Marseille. She scored eight goals in 15 league games that season. Olympique Lyonnais finished first in the league.

Parris scored four goals in six 2019–20 UEFA Women's Champions League games. She missed the final because she was suspended. Olympique Lyonnais won the Champions League title for the fifth time in a row. This was their seventh Champions League title overall.

In the 2020–21 Division 1 Féminine season, she scored her first goal in a 3–0 win against Reims. She scored two goals against Soyaux in November. In December, she scored four goals in just 26 minutes against Issy, helping Lyon win 9–0. She scored two goals against Paris FC in January 2021, bringing her total to eleven goals for the season.

Playing for Arsenal

After two seasons in France, Parris returned to the Super League. She signed with Arsenal on 2 July 2021 for a club-record fee. She scored her first goal for Arsenal in her debut game on 18 August. This was in a Champions League match against Okzhetpes. She scored her 50th goal in the WSL in a match against Aston Villa on 1 May 2022.

Time at Manchester United

Nikita Parris playing for Manchester United.

On 6 August 2022, it was confirmed that Parris had signed for WSL club Manchester United.

In November 2023, she scored 6 goals in 6 games, including three goals in one match against Everton. Because of this, she was voted Manchester United's Player of the Month. On 28 January 2024, Parris scored both goals in a 2–1 win against Aston Villa. She was United's top scorer for the season with 13 goals in 16 games. In May 2024, Parris was part of the Manchester United team that beat Tottenham 4–0 in the 2024 Women's FA Cup final.

Joining Brighton & Hove Albion

On 13 September 2024, Parris joined another WSL team, Brighton & Hove Albion. On 5 October, she scored her first goal for Brighton in a 4–2 league win against Aston Villa.

International Career

England Youth Teams

Nikita Parris played for England's youth teams from under-17 to under-23. She scored over 20 goals at these levels.

In 2012, she scored the winning goal against Finland and three goals against Wales. This helped England under-19s qualify for the final tournament. In 2013, she scored goals in the final tournament. The under-19 team finished as runners-up and qualified for the 2014 U-20 World Cup. Parris then played for the England under-20s at the U-20 World Cup. She scored the first goal against Nigeria.

In 2015, her under-23 coach, Mo Marley, said Parris was a "really, really good talented player." She believed Parris would soon play for the senior England team.

England Senior Team

Nikita Parris (right) playing for England in October 2018.

On 4 June 2016, Parris made her first appearance for the senior England team. She came on as a substitute in England's 7–0 win over Serbia. Three days later, she scored two goals in another 7–0 win against Serbia.

On 27 July 2017, Parris scored her first goal in a major tournament. She scored the winning goal in England's 2–1 win against Portugal at Euro 2017. England finished first in their group. After beating France 1–0 in the quarter-finals, England lost 3–0 to the Netherlands in the semi-finals.

Nikita Parris (left) playing for England in 2019.

On 2 March 2019, Parris scored against the United States in a 2–2 draw at the 2019 SheBelieves Cup. England won this tournament for the first time. Her six goals in the World Cup qualifiers helped England secure their spot at the tournament later that year.

In 2019, David Beckham announced Parris's place on the England team for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Parris scored England's first goal in the 2019 World Cup. It was a penalty in a 2–1 win over Scotland. She was named FIFA's Player of the Match. She took another penalty in the next game against Argentina, but the goalkeeper saved it. England won 1–0. She missed another penalty against Norway in the quarter-final. England manager Phil Neville said she would still take the next one. However, in the semi-final against the United States, the captain Steph Houghton took the penalty instead, and it was saved. England finished fourth in the tournament.

In June 2022, Parris was part of the England squad that won the UEFA Women's Euro 2022. This was a huge achievement for the team.

After a strong start to the 2024-25 season with Brighton & Hove Albion, Parris was called back to the England squad. This was her first call-up in two years. On 26 February 2025, Parris played as a substitute in a Nations League match against Spain. This was her first game for England since November 2022.

Great Britain Olympic Team

On 27 May 2021, Parris was chosen for her first Olympic Games. She was selected for the Great Britain team for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Parris scored in a friendly game against New Zealand before the tournament. She played in all four of Great Britain's games at the Olympics.

Awards and Achievements

Manchester City

FA Women's Super League: 2016
FA Women's Cup: 2016–17, 2018–19
FA WSL Cup: 2016, 2018–19

Olympique Lyonnais

Division 1 Féminine: 2019–20
Coupe de France: 2019–20
Trophée des Championnes: 2019
UEFA Women's Champions League: 2019–20

Manchester United

Women's FA Cup: 2023–24

England Under-19

UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship runner-up: 2013

England Senior Team

UEFA Women's Championship: 2022
SheBelieves Cup: 2019
Arnold Clark Cup: 2022

Individual Awards

Everton Player of the Year: 2014
FWA Women's Footballer of the Year: 2019
Women's Super League: all-time leading scorer from 2018 to 2020

Playing Style

When she was young, Nikita Parris admired Julie Fleeting, who was known for scoring goals. Teammates describe Parris as "down to earth" and having "exceptional gifts." She is known for her strong will, quick learning, and fast feet.

Former England manager Phil Neville said in 2019 that Parris is "world class." The Telegraph newspaper called her "an exhilarating footballer" and "a pain to face on the pitch." They described her style as "fast and clinical."

Gaffer magazine said her best quality is her ability to see what will happen next. They also praised her "grounded, thoughtful and hungry" leadership. Her sister, boxer Natasha Jonas, said, "She will always try her best and give 100 percent. She will always come off that pitch with nothing left to give."

Personal Life and Community Work

Nikita Parris is the younger sister of boxer Natasha Jonas. Her first name is sometimes shortened to "Keets." She is a practicing Catholic.

In 2020, Parris started the NP17 Football Academy. This academy helps students in Liverpool get sports qualifications. She said, "That community gave me life and gave me an opportunity – that's what I want to do for these girls." The academy is based at The City of Liverpool College and gets support from Puma.

In the same year, Parris worked with England's The Football Association (FA). She joined seven other famous footballers, including Harry Kane, to form a group. This group focuses on increasing the number of black, Asian, and other minority ethnic people in senior roles in football.

Parris is sponsored by the finance company Visa and sportswear company Puma. In June 2019, she was in a video for Visa and the 2019 World Cup. She has also been in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series since FIFA 17.

In June 2019, a large mural (a big painting on a wall) of Parris was put up on London Road in Liverpool. Another mural of Parris was also unveiled in Toxteth.