Kailen Sheridan

Kailen Sheridan did not start out as a goalkeeper at all. In the youth ranks at Ajax United and Toronto Lynx she played as a forward, and only later switched positions to the one that would define her career. That path took her through Clemson University, where between 2013 and 2016 she set programme records for goals against average and shutouts, numbers strong enough to see her drafted 23rd overall by Sky Blue FC in 2017.

Sheridan spent five seasons with the club that became NJ/NY Gotham FC before a trade to San Diego Wave FC in December 2021 changed the trajectory of her career. In San Diego she was named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year and helped the club win the NWSL Shield in 2023. That contract was mutually terminated in late 2025, and in January 2026 she signed a two-year deal with North Carolina Courage, where she now wears the captain's armband.

Her international story has followed a similar arc of patience rewarded. She became the undisputed starter from 2022 onward, and the following years brought the Golden Glove and a place in the Best XI as Canada took silver at the CONCACAF W Championship. She started every match for Canada at the 2023 World Cup and again at the Paris Olympics in 2024. She has made 69 appearances for the national side, keeping 33 clean sheets along the way.