Football is in Kerolin’s blood she grew up in Brazil where football is a way of life for many but for female players the road to professionalism is not easy Kerolin is different from most she played barefoot in the streets of Sao Paulo with boys from a young age and knew she wanted to be something special she felt passionate about football and worked hard to stand out even though many girls did not get the same opportunities she was determined to change that and follow her dreams
She believes playing with boys when she was young made her stronger and helped shape the player she is today she calls it Ginga which means sway in Brazil it is a style of playing with rhythm and skill she became a forward with pace power and work ethic her journey was not easy but she always wanted to prove herself she remembers playing with no shoes feeling the pain when she kicked the ball but she kept going because she wanted to be different from others
Even when she faced health problems at the age of eleven doctors told her to avoid contact sports because she had osteomyelitis a bone infection and cellulitis in her leg but she refused to give up football was too important to her and she fought through it she kept playing improving her skills and believing in herself she knew she had to be faster stronger and smarter on the ball she learned how to dribble quickly because she was always playing against bigger and stronger opponents her mindset was always about improving and becoming the best player she could be
She started her professional journey at Ponte Preta a club in Sao Paulo where she quickly made a name for herself her talent was obvious from a young age and she gained attention from bigger clubs her big break came when she moved to the United States to play for North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League she played there for three years and became one of the most important players on the team she finished her last season in the US with fourteen goal involvements in twenty four matches proving her worth on the field she worked hard every day and her efforts paid off when she was named the Most Valuable Player in the league making her the first South American player to win the award
Winning the MVP award was a dream come true for her it showed that all her sacrifices and hard work had been worth it she had proven herself on one of the biggest stages in women’s football but she was still hungry for more she wanted to play in Europe she wanted to challenge herself in a new league and take her game to the next level she had interest from Arsenal but she decided to join Manchester City because she believed it was the best place for her to grow as a player
She was excited to play in the Women’s Super League because she knew it was one of the best leagues in the world it would also be her first time playing in the Champions League a tournament she had always dreamed of playing in she wanted to compete against the best players in the world and prove herself on the biggest stage she knew that playing for Manchester City would give her the chance to be seen by everyone she wanted to win trophies and maybe even one day win the Ballon d’Or
Manchester City plays a style of football that she enjoys it is similar to how her team played in the US so she felt ready for the challenge she knew that the best players were in Europe especially in England and Spain so she wanted to be in a place where she could improve and compete with the best she believed that playing in the WSL would give her the exposure and opportunities she needed to achieve her goals
She has always been ambitious she wants to be one of the best players in the world and she is willing to work hard to make that happen her journey has not been easy but she has never given up she has overcome challenges and proved that she belongs at the highest level she knows that moving to Manchester City is just another step in her journey and she is ready to give everything to succeed
Her story is one of determination and passion she grew up in a country where football is king but she had to fight for her place in the game she never let obstacles stop her from chasing her dreams she played on the streets barefoot she ignored the pain she overcame illness she moved to a new country to prove herself and she won one of the biggest awards in women’s football now she is ready for her next challenge and she believes the best is yet to come
