Barclays Women’s Super League record holder Vivianne Miedema is now at City!
The Dutch international has moved to the Joie Stadium on a three-year deal after leaving Arsenal at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Here are 10 things you may or may not have known about our latest recruitment…
Goal show
Okay, it’s no secret, but Miedema scores goals in droves.
Our new striker has scored 80 goals in 106 Barclays Women’s Super League games, making her the division’s most prolific goalscorer of all time.
She won two WSL Golden Boots with Arsenal, scoring 22 out of 20 in 2018/19 and 16 out of 14 in 2019/20.
Miedema was also the top scorer in the 2019/20 Women’s Champions League, netting 10 goals as Arsenal reached the quarter-finals.
No one has scored more goals for the Netherlands than Miedema, with our new striker scoring 95 goals in 115 international appearances. That’s 33 more than Lieke Martens and 45 more than Robin van Persie, who is the men’s top scorer.
His ten goals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are an Olympic record for most goals in a single tournament.
city heroine
Miedema grew up in the small town of Hoogeveen in the north-east of the Netherlands. Hoogeveen was historically important for the production and distribution of peat through its significant network of canals.
It was here that Miedema represented HZVV and VV De Weide in men’s youth football before making the permanent switch to women’s football.
In 2020, Miedema recalled that her first memory of playing football was losing two teeth after sliding to get the ball from a goalkeeper.
In 2022, she was present at the opening of a Cruyff Court – a small caged football pitch – in Hoogeveen, named after Miedema herself.
WATCH: Vivianne Miedema signs for City!
Long distance
As a child, Miedema, her brother Lars and her father would make the 120-mile journey to Rotterdam to watch giants Feyenoord play.
Historically one of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands, Feyenoord play at the magnificent De Kuip and have won the men’s top flight 16 times.
Reflecting on that time, she says: “If you’re a girl now it might be a bit different because there are so many female players to look up to, but I used to be a fan of the Feyenoord players.
“They were the only games I could stay up late for during the week. We used to go to a few of their games. Sometimes, as a birthday treat, I’d go to a fan day or an open practice.
“At Feyenoord you could meet some of the players and get on the pitch with them. It was amazing.”
professional at 14 years old
Having shone in the men’s leagues as a child, Miedema was offered a professional contract at the age of 14.
She chose to accept SC Heerenveen’s offer and before she knew it, she was training and competing with women at the highest level of Dutch women’s football.
Miedema made her debut for the Heerenveen women’s senior team at the age of 15 in September 2011 and scored 10 goals that season, despite her team finishing bottom of the table.
looking to the future
Despite being only 27 years old, Miedema is already making plans for when she hangs up her boots.
She recently began a UEFA A-licence coaching course alongside other professionals, including recently retired City captain Steph Houghton.
The course will teach Miedema, who has already completed her B licence, the fundamentals of becoming a top coach and fitting it around her match and training schedule at City.
WATCH: Miedema on Roord conversations before City move
comic book star
Our No. 6 is the star of a comic book series by Dutch writer Joke Reijnders and illustrator Sanneke Prins, titled ‘Vivianne voetbalt’.
Speaking about being approached for the series, she said: “They came to me and said, ‘This is the idea, this is what we want, are you open to it?’ Amazing idea!’”
common goal
In November 2021, Miedema joined the charity Common Goal, donating 1% of her salary to community organizations that work with young people.
She said: “I’m lucky to be living my dream and I feel a responsibility to help others live theirs too. I’m excited to join Common Goal and be able to really scale the impact I can have off the pitch.”
WATCH: Vivianne Miedema: My story so far
Celebrations
Miedema is known for not celebrating her many, many goals exuberantly.
Speaking about it in 2020, she said: “I don’t really have a specific reason why I don’t celebrate, I would just say I celebrate more if someone else scores.
“Maybe it’s a question of showing respect for the opposition. Maybe it’s because I’m a normal, calm person. I just don’t believe in doing strange things after a goal.
“Even running away from your teammates is something I consider disrespectful. I will always celebrate with my teammates because a goal is something you should enjoy together.”
brother player
Miedema’s family is obsessed with football.
His younger brother Lars, now 24, also played professionally, representing FC Den Bosch in the Dutch second division and Spanish side FC Velez before returning to the Netherlands.
furry friend
Miedema and her partner Beth Mead adopted puppy Myle in November 2023 and regularly update Instagram with the dog’s latest adventures and mishaps.
The Cocker spaniel has an Instagram profile, “mylemeadema“, with over 40,000 followers!
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2024-07-05 11:37:35
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