West Ham complete signing of Poland international goalkeeper Kinga Szemik

West Ham United have announced the signing of Poland international goalkeeper Kinga Szemik on a three-year deal.

The 27-year-old shot-stopper moves to the WSL after two seasons with French Division 1 Feminine club Stade de Reims. In the 2023/24 season, Szemik had a positive campaign and kept nine clean sheets from the 22 matches she played.

Szemik began her career in her homeland of Poland at local club TS Mitech Zywiec, who are based in a small river town in the southern region of the country. She then spent four years in the United States playing college football at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros before she returned to Europe in 2020.

She has spent the last four years in France, first with Nantes and most recently with Reims. At international level, she is capped for Poland 17 times at senior level, while at youth level, she won the 2013 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship with her country.

“I’m so happy to be signing for West Ham United,” Szemik told the club's official website. “West Ham is one of the biggest clubs in England with a rich history. The WSL is also the best league in the world, which has evolved so much over the years. I think this is the best place for me to progress as a player and evolve as a person as well.

“There’s always room for improvement and that’s what I look forward to most, developing as a player and trying to help the team as much as I can. I’m already looking forward to getting down to business and meeting the West Ham fans.”

Szemik joins West Ham following last week’s announcement that goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold has departed the club following the expiration of her contract in east London. The Australia international had been with the Hammers for four years after arriving in England from Chicago Red Stars in 2020.

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