Katelin Talbert

Katelin Talbert

Personal information
Full name	Katelin Shawne Talbert
Date of birth	(1998-10-09) October 9, 1998 (age 25)
Place of birth	Sacramento, California, United States
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	West Ham United
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2020	Humboldt Lumberjacks
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021 - 2022	FH Hafnarfjörður
2022 - 2023	S.L. Benfica
2023 - 2024	→ Djurgårdens IF (loan)
2024 -	West Ham United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Katelin Shawne Talbert (born 9 October 1998) is an American women's footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Women's Super League club West Ham United.

Talbert grew up in Sacramento, California, where she attended Rio Americano High School and played on the soccer team. She then went on to play goalkeeper for Humboldt State Lumberjacks from 2016 to 2020.

During her career at HSU, she started in 37 of the 38 matches she played. She played in over 3,460 minutes in goal posting a 1.24 goals against average. Talbert gave up 48 goals and recorded 179 saves for a .793 saves percentage.^[1] In 2017, Talbert earned a California Collegiate Athletic Association All-Conference honorable mention for her 1.08 goals against average while recording 76 saves and six wins.^[2] In 2019, Talbert earned Pac North All-Conference honors and in 2020 she was named Pac North Defensive Player of the Year.^[3] Talbert had eight shutouts in goal during her career at Humboldt State.^[4] As a student-athlete Katelin made the Humboldt State Academic Deans List in 2020.^[5] She graduated from Humboldt State with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife.

In March 2021, Talbert signed with her first professional club, FHingar, the women's football department of the Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar multi-sport club. The team finished the season 11-3-4 with Talbert recording 46 saves in goal.^[6] After playing for FHingar, Talbert trained with the West Ham United women in London from September to December 2021.

In January 2022, Talbert joined Sport Lisboa e Benfica, commonly known as Benfica, a Portuguese women's football team based in Lisbon that plays in the UEFA Women's Champions League. In her year and a half at Benfica, she played in 23 matches and won two Campeonato Nacional Feminino^[7] titles, the League Cup (Taça da Liga Feminina),^[8] and the Portuguese Super Cup (Supertaça de Portugal Feminina).^[9][10] Talbert was elected by the Players Union as the best goalkeeper of the 2021/22 Liga BPI.^[11] Her contract ended with Sport Lisboa e Benfica, on June 30, 2023.

In August 2023, Katelin signed with West Ham United Women Football Club, an English women's football club affiliated with West Ham United.^[12] The club plays in the Women's Super League, the top tier of English women's football. Talbert was immediately sent out on loan to Swedish side Djurgårdens IF in a bid to accumulate the points needed to meet Governing Body Endorsements [GBE] requirements for the International Sportsperson visa.^[13][14] She made nine appearances for the club in the Damallsvenskan, helping The Blue Stripes to avoid an end of season relegation play-off.^[15] In June 2024, Katelin was transferred back to West Ham United.

Katelin rarely if ever gets beat by any shot from distance & is considered highly athletic often making highlight reel saves. Her style has been compared to that of former USWNT GK Hope Solo. Katelin is often described as aggressive and fearless and will come off her line quickly to challenge shooters. Checking in at 6', she is dominant in the air on balls into the box from corners and set pieces. Katelin is equally adept with balls at her feet and can play accurately and comfortably with either foot which was a heavy focus from her time at Benfica playing balls out of the back. Katelin will also consistently punt/kick balls 60+ yards when required. Katelin has at every club she's played for tested out at the top or near the top of the club's fitness, agility and strength testing for both field players & goalies as she takes her fitness and health very serious. Katelin also picked up the nickname "The American Machine" from her time in Portugal with Benfica.