England debut a dream come true, says Keating | OneFootball

Khiara Keating says it’s every kid's dream to play for England, and tonight that became a reality for the City goalkeeper.

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Gallery: Etihad hosts England and Brazil friendly

The 21-year-old was handed her debut cap by Sarina Wiegman on Saturday evening, playing in front of almost 40,000 fans at the Etihad.

Despite a narrow 2-1 loss to Brazil in a friendly, Keating’s first senior England appearance was a proud moment she will cherish.

“I’m a bit disappointed, but obviously it’s a proud moment for me to make my debut here at the Etihad and in front of all the fans,” said Keating.

“Every kid dreams about making their England debut, and for me to do it at my childhood club made it even more special.

“I had a conversation with Sarina [Wiegman] after training, H [Hannah Hampton] picked up a little injury and she [Wiegman] trusted me to go out there and be with the team.

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Keating debuts in England’s friendly defeat to Brazil

“Conceding is never nice, but I think as a team we did well to come back, stick together and create opportunities to score.”

Keating looked like a natural in between the sticks for her country.

She collected crosses with confidence, and her distribution, short and long, was extremely impressive.

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And she’ll be undoubtedly keen to continue showcasing what she can provide for club and country when given the chance.

“I think I just need to keep training well, and keep doing the things I can to improve,” Keating explained.

“I think you can always get better, teams can get better, we can play better teams, so I’m just doing what I can when I can.”

Keating and her fellow City team-mates will be back at the Etihad next month when they welcome United to our home for the latest Manchester Derby. Click here for tickets!