Nealy_Martin
Nealy Martin
American soccer player (born 1998)
Nealy Cameron Martin (born April 22, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
|
Martin with Gotham FC in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nealy Cameron Martin[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1998-04-22) April 22, 1998 (age 26) | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Gotham FC | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 0000 | Birmingham United | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2019 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 76 | (5) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2022 | Racing Louisville | 29 | (0) |
| 2023– | Gotham FC | 19 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 April 2024 | |||
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Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin began playing soccer from the age of three.[2] She played recreational soccer in the Elite Club National League before joining club side Birmingham United.[2] In 2015, she was part of the Oak Mountain High School side which won the Class 7A state championship game while only conceding a school record six goals throughout the season.[3] Following her senior season, Martin was named as the Birmingham Girls Soccer Player of the Year and was the number 1 ranked prospect in the state of Alabama.[2]
Initially wanting to attend Auburn University, the alma mater of her parents, Martin was recruited by the University of Alabama to play college soccer with the Alabama Crimson Tide during her junior year.[2] She made her debut for the Crimson Tide on August 18, 2016, against the Sam Houston State Bearkats, going on to play 19 games throughout her first collegiate season.[4] She would go on to play a total of 76 matches during her four seasons with the Crimson Tide, scoring 5 goals, and earning the 2019 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year award.[5]
In February 2021, Martin began training with National Women's Soccer League club Racing Louisville during their pre-season camp.[6] On April 5, 2021, Martin was signed by Racing Louisville.[5] She made her professional debut for the club on April 10, 2021, in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Orlando Pride.[7][8] She appeared in 18 matches for the season, starting in 13.[9]
Martin has notably served as an emergency goalkeeper, both at Alabama, where she saved a free kick from the edge of the box, and Gotham on multiple occasions when her team's goalkeeper was injured or sent off and the team had no more substitutions. She finished out extra time in the 2023 NWSL Championship Game that Gotham won as their goalkeeper.[10]
- As of match played April 20, 2024[11]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[lower-alpha 1] | Playoffs[lower-alpha 2] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Racing Louisville FC | 2021 | NWSL | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2023 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 48 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 65 | 0 | ||
- Includes the NWSL Challenge Cup
- Includes NWSL Playoffs
NJ/NY Gotham FC
Individual
- 2019 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year
- "College of Engineering: Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering". The University of Alabama: Summer Convocation of the One Hundred Ninetieth Commencement (PDF). University of Alabama. p. 54. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- Anderson, Jonathan (October 3, 2019). "O Captain! My Captain! Senior Nealy Martin casting a long shadow on Alabama soccer". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- Knox, David (May 9, 2015). "Oak Mountain girls are 7A soccer champs". 280Living. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- "Former Alabama Soccer Player Nealy Martin Signs with Racing Louisville FC". Alabama Crimson Tide. April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- "BUSA ALUMNI NEALY MARTIN MAKES NWSL PRESEASON ROSTER". Birmingham United. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- "Racing Louisville vs Orlando Pride". Soccerway.
- "2022 Racing Louisville FC Roster". racingloufc.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021.
- "Nealy Martin". Racing Louisville FC. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- staff, The Athletic Soccer. "USWNT announces Emma Hayes, NWSL Championship recap: Full Time". The Athletic. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- Nealy Martin at Soccerway. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- "NWSL Championship highlights: Gotham FC crowned champions as Rapinoe, Krieger end careers". USA Today. November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- Nealy Martin at the National Women's Soccer League
- Nealy Martin #14 at NJ/NY Gotham FC
- Nealy Martin #14 at Racing Louisville FC
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