Jessica Ziu

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jessica Ziu

| fullname = Jessica Maria Ziu

| image =

| caption =

| height = 164cm

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2002|6|6}}

| birth_place = Dublin, Republic of Ireland

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = West Ham United

| clubnumber = 16

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Rivermount Boys & Girls

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Shelbourne

| years1 = 2018–2022

| clubs1 = Shelbourne

| caps1 = 70

| goals1 = 22

| years2 = 2022–

| clubs2 = West Ham United

| caps2 = 17

| goals2 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2017–2019

| nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland U-17

| nationalcaps1 = 16

| nationalgoals1 = 4

| nationalyears2 = 2019–

| nationalteam2 = Republic of Ireland U-19

| nationalcaps2 = 3

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| nationalyears3 = 2018–

| nationalteam3 = Republic of Ireland

| nationalcaps3 = 12

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| pcupdate = 03:59, 27 December 2023 (UTC)

| ntupdate = 15:05, 26 November 2023 (UTC)

}}

Jessica Maria Ziu (born 6 June 2002) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club West Ham United and has appeared for the Republic of Ireland women's national team.

Club career

Ziu was born on 6 June 2002 and is from Dublin, Ireland. Her father moved to Ireland from Albania in 1998.{{cite news |last1=Pollak |first1=Sorcha |title='New Irish' busy making their sporting mark |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/new-irish-busy-making-their-sporting-mark-1.3178485 |access-date=13 March 2021 |publisher=The Irish Times |date=7 August 2017}} She began playing soccer at five years old, and joined Rivermount Boys & Girls in Finglas where she was the only girl in the team.{{cite news |last1=McKenna |first1=Kevin |title=Beautiful game is alive and thriving in Finglas |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/sport/soccer/junior-senior/beautiful-game-is-alive-and-thriving-in-finglas-27887704.html |access-date=13 March 2021 |publisher=The Herald (Ireland) |date=6 October 2008}}

After starting the 2018 season with Shelbourne's youth team for the new Under 17 Women's National League, Ziu was quickly promoted to the club's senior panel. She made her Women's National League debut shortly after turning 16 years old in June 2018.{{cite news |last1=Mulreaney |first1=Gerard |title=Jessica Ziu aiming high in 2019 for both club and country |url=https://theleagueofireland.com/2019/02/28/jessica-ziu-aiming-high-in-2019-for-both-club-and-country/ |access-date=13 March 2021 |publisher=The League of Ireland |date=28 February 2019}}

She enjoyed good form in the 2020 Women's National League, being named WNL Player of the Month for October 2020{{cite web|title=Ziu collects Barretstown / WNL Player of the Month for October|url=https://wnl.fai.ie/news/1244-ziu-collects-barretstown-wnl-player-of-the-month-for-october.html|publisher=FAI Women’s National League|language=en|date=5 November 2020|access-date=6 December 2020|archive-date=20 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920163828/https://wnl.fai.ie/news/1244-ziu-collects-barretstown-wnl-player-of-the-month-for-october.html|url-status=dead}} and named in the Team of the Season.{{cite news |last1=Duffy |first1=Emma |title=Peamount stalwart and Wexford teenage sensation win big at end-of-season awards |url=https://www.the42.ie/wnl-awards-player-of-the-season-5307261-Dec2020/ |access-date=23 December 2020 |work=The42.ie |publisher=TheJournal.ie |date=20 December 2020}} In 2021 she helped Shelbourne win the WNL title and played in the 3–1 2021 FAI Women's Cup Final defeat by Wexford Youths. In March 2022 Ziu agreed a summer transfer to English FA Women's Super League club West Ham United.{{cite news |title=Shelbourne star Jess Ziu agrees move to West Ham |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2022/0317/1287024-shelbourne-star-jess-ziu-agrees-move-to-west-ham/ |access-date=19 March 2022 |publisher=RTÉ Sport |date=17 March 2022}} She made her league debut against Everton on 18 September 2022.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/18/england/wsl/west-ham-united-lfc/everton-lfc/3856323/|title=West Ham United vs Everton - 18 September 2022|website=int.soccerway.com}}

In October 2022 Ziu suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a 2022–23 FA Women's League Cup fixture against London City Lionesses.{{cite news |last1=Galvin |first1=TJ |title=West Ham confirm Ireland's Jess Ziu has injured her ACL |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-40980368.html |access-date=5 November 2022 |publisher=Irish Examiner |date=10 October 2022}}

International career

=Youth=

Ziu represented Ireland at schoolgirl level while she attended Larkin Community College, Dublin City.{{cite web |title=Jessica Ziu |url=http://www.faischools.ie/national/players/girls-international/jessica-ziu |publisher=FAI Schools |access-date=13 March 2021}} At the FAI International Football Awards she was named 2018 Under-16 Women's International Player of the Year.{{cite news|last=Malone|first=Emmet|title=Shane Duffy named Republic of Ireland Player of the Year|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/shane-duffy-named-republic-of-ireland-player-of-the-year-1.3829703|newspaper=The Irish Times|publisher=Irish Times Trust|date=17 March 2019|access-date=17 March 2019}}

=Senior=

Ireland's senior national team coach Colin Bell called up Ziu for the first time in August 2018, for a home FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying fixture against Northern Ireland.{{cite news |last1=Bailey |first1=Ryan |title=16-year-old Shels striker in line for international debut in Ireland's final World Cup qualifier |url=https://www.the42.ie/ireland-wnt-squad-northern-ireland-4199596-Aug2018/ |access-date=13 March 2021 |work=The42.ie |publisher=TheJournal.ie |date=24 August 2018}} "She's still very young. She's just turned 16, but needs to be in this environment," he said.{{cite news |last1=Fennessy |first1=Paul |title='She's just turned 16, but needs to be in this environment' |url=https://www.the42.ie/ireland-northern-ireland-jessica-ziu-4206923-Aug2018/ |access-date=13 March 2021 |work=The42.ie |publisher=TheJournal.ie |date=28 August 2018}} She won her first cap in Ireland's 4–0 win, entering play as a 75th-minute substitute for Rianna Jarrett.{{cite news |title=Ireland WNT: Kiernan stars in emphatic Northern Ireland win |url=https://www.fai.ie/ireland/match/39/2019/999943747?tab=report |access-date=13 March 2021 |publisher=Football Association of Ireland |date=31 August 2018 |quote=Colin Bell handed a senior international debut to Shelbourne Ladies striker Jessica Ziu in the second-half. The 16-year old replaced Wexford Youths striker Jarrett as preparations begin for next year's UEFA 2021 European Championships qualifying campaign.}}

On 9 October 2018, she played in Ireland's 4–0 friendly defeat by Poland in Ostróda, coming on for Jarrett on 53 minutes.{{cite web|url=https://www.fai.ie/ireland/match/55501/2018/999944960|title=Ireland WNT: Four second-half goals ensure Poland defeat|website=FAI.ie |access-date=20 January 2019}} She won a third senior cap in a 1–0 friendly defeat by Belgium, at San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain in January 2019.{{cite news |title=Ireland WNT: Young side succumb to Belgian defeat |url=https://www.fai.ie/ireland/match/55501/2018/999944966?tab=report|access-date=13 March 2021 |publisher=Football Association of Ireland |date=18 January 2019}}

Career statistics

= Club =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|National Cup{{efn\|Includes FAI Women's Cup, Women's FA Cup}} ! colspan="2" \|League Cup{{efn\|Includes Women’s National League Cup, FA Women's League Cup}} ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
rowspan="6" \|Shelbourne \|2018 \|Women's National League \|9 \|3 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|9 \|3
2019 \|Women's National League \|18 \|6 \|2 \|0 \|3 \|0 \|23 \|6
2020 \|Women's National League \|11 \|5 \|1 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|12 \|5
2021 \|Women's National League \|20 \|5 \|3 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|23 \|5
2022 \|Women's National League \|12 \|3 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|12 \|3
colspan="2" \|Total !70 !22 !6 !0 !3 !0 !79 !22
rowspan="3" \|West Ham United \|2022–23 \|Women's Super League \|3 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|4 \|0
2023–24 \|Women's Super League \|16 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|18 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !19 !0 !0 !0 !3 !0 !22 !0
colspan="3" \|Career Total !89 !22 !6 !0 !6 !0 !101 !22

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |National Cup{{efn|Includes FAI Women's Cup, Women's FA Cup}}

! colspan="2" |League Cup{{efn|Includes Women’s National League Cup, FA Women's League Cup}}

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

rowspan="6" |Shelbourne

|2018

|Women's National League

2019

|Women's National League

|18

|23

2020

|Women's National League

|11

|12

2021

|Women's National League

|20

|23

2022

|Women's National League

|12

colspan="2" |Total

!70

!22

!79

!22

rowspan="3" |West Ham United

|2022–23

|Women's Super League

2023–24

|Women's Super League

|16

|18

colspan="2" |Total

!19

!22

colspan="3" |Career Total

!89

!22

!101

!22

= International =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
scope="col" \| National team ! scope="col" \| Year ! !scope="col" \| Apps !Goals
rowspan="4" \|Republic of Ireland \| scope="row" \| 2018	2 \|0
scope="row" \| 2019	1 \|0
scope="row" \| 2021	2 \|0
scope="row" \| 2022	7 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total	12 !0

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year

scope="col" | National team

! scope="col" | Year

! !scope="col" | Apps

!Goals

rowspan="4" |Republic of Ireland

| scope="row" | 2018

scope="row" | 2019

scope="row" | 2021

scope="row" | 2022

colspan="2" |Total