‘I love scoring goals’: meet Shekiera Martinez, the striker taking WSL by storm
After netting 10 goals in just 12 league matches, West Ham’s rising star Shekiera Martinez opens up about her journey, her love for dogs, and her dreams on the pitch.
When Shekiera Martinez was just eight, her family was doubtful about her football ambitions. Growing up in Germany with four sisters and a brother, her mother was particularly skeptical. “I wanted to start but when I told my mum, she firstly said: ‘No, you won’t play for long, you’ll be like your sister,’” Martinez remembers. “And so then I gave her a promise that I would play for longer than my sister.”
Fast forward sixteen years, and Martinez has more than fulfilled that promise. After honing her skills in a local boys’ team and spending six years with Eintracht Frankfurt, she shone at the youth level for Germany. Her recent accolade, the Women’s Super League’s Rising Star award for the 2024-25 season, is a testament to her hard work and talent. Scoring 10 goals in 12 WSL games during the latter half of the season, she has truly made her mark.
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