Jess Carter

Defender • Age 29 • #27

Jess Carter is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for National Women's Soccer League club NJ/NY Gotham FC and the England national team.

349 Appearances

10 Goals

19 Trophies

6 Awards

Fun Facts about Jess

Quirky facts. Inspired by her game.

She is engaged to goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, her longtime teammate at Birmingham, Chelsea, and Gotham FC.

She is an ambassador for an all-female football academy - The Judan Ali Football Academy.

She started her senior career at just 16, debuting for Birmingham City in a UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final — and was named Player of the Match!

She has played every position across the backline and even started her international youth career as a forward.

She was born in England to a British mother and African-American father — she holds dual UK and US citizenship.

Her biggest achievement—before winning the EUROs—was signing for Chelsea. At the time, she didn’t believe joining such a professional club was within reach, and later, being called up to the England squad felt just as significant.

Her worst habit is that she talks too much. She often speaks without thinking, and then finds herself needing to explain or clarify what she meant.

Her biggest influences are her family—her sisters, her partner, and her parents all inspire her in different ways.

A phrase she often says is “it is what it is.” That mindset helps her accept what she can’t control and move forward with life.

She used to be superstitious about wearing thermal skins under her football top—even in summer. After being advised against it, she stopped, but she still wears compression shorts under her match shorts every game.