It was seven years ago that a talented teenage goalkeeper, by the name of Ellie Roebuck, made her senior breakthrough at Manchester City and usurped an established England international, former Lionesses’ No.1 Karen Bardsley, to become the club’s first-choice goalkeeper. This season, history appears to be repeating itself at the club – except this time it’s Roebuck who is on the wrong end of the story.
A stalwart in this City side since the 2017-18 season, which she started as an 18-year-old, Roebuck is yet to see a single minute of action this campaign for her club because of 19-year-old Khiara Keating. The gifted young goalkeeper has been head coach Gareth Taylor’s No.1 in the Women’s Super League since the new season began, and after her excellent performances, that looks unlikely to change anytime soon.
It must be strange for Roebuck to watch the situation unfold, with the shoe now on the other foot. She’s done so from the stands for large parts of the season, often not even named in City’s matchday squad because of Sandy MacIver, the Lioness-turned-Scotland international, assuming the role of cup ‘keeper and Keating’s back-up.
Most recently, the impact of her lack of playing time has resulted in her losing her place in the England squad. Sarina Wiegman had included her – and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton, who has only made one appearance for the Blues after a summer move from Aston Villa – in the Lionesses’ October list because of the “credit” they had built up. However, though there was a place for Hampton in December, Roebuck missed out.
For a goalkeeper with her talent, for someone who looked set to be England’s No.1 for years to come when Wiegman first arrived, it’s quite an incredible situation that she finds herself in. So what has happened?