She Kicks Back: Hannah Keryakoplis

Former Wales international Hannah Keryakoplis reflects on her career after announcing her retirement in January, just short of her 30th birthday, due to injury. Capped 20 times by her country, the ex-Liverpool and Birmingham City midfielder/forward recalls a spectacular 40-yard strike for Birmingham against Liverpool in a decisive 2014 title-race clash – a game Fara Williams infamously equalised from the restart – and names Alex Greenwood as her toughest opponent from her Liverpool academy days. She discusses her admiration for Lucy Bronze, her enduring friendship with boxer and former Wales teammate Lauren Price, and playing against Marta in a 2014 Champions League semi-final for Birmingham. The piece closes her career with a nostalgic look back rather than a forward-looking transfer story, fitting the ‘She Kicks Back’ feature’s retrospective format.