Payton Linnehan

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Payton Linnehan

|image = Payton Linnehan 2019 1.jpg

|image_size = 200px

|caption = Linnehan with Penn State in 2019

|full_name = Payton Elizabeth Linnehan

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|3|25}}

|birth_place = Milford, Massachusetts, U.S.

|height = {{height|ft=5|in=6}}

|position = Forward

|currentclub = Portland Thorns

|clubnumber = 15

|collegeyears1 = 2019–2023

|college1 = Penn State Nittany Lions

|collegecaps1 = 90

|collegegoals1 = 34

|years1 = 2024–

|clubs1 = Portland Thorns

|caps1 = 3

|goals1 = 1

|nationalyears1 = 2016

|nationalteam1 = United States U15

|nationalcaps1 =

|nationalgoals1 =

|nationalyears2 = 2017–2018

|nationalteam2 = United States U17

|nationalcaps2 =

|nationalgoals2 =

|nationalyears3 = 2022

|nationalteam3 = United States U23

|nationalcaps3 =

|nationalgoals3 =

|club-update = May 2, 2024

}}

Payton Elizabeth Linnehan (born March 25, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League. She was drafted by the Thorns 11th overall in the 2024 NWSL Draft after playing college soccer for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Early life

Linnehan was raised in Douglas, Massachusetts, the daughter of Sheri and Sean Linnehan.{{cite news |author=Staff Writer |title=Payton Linnehan |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/sports/2016/12/27/payton-linnehan/23102847007/ |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=The Worcester Telegram & Gazette}} She started playing youth soccer when she was about five years old.{{cite news |last1=Garven |first1=Rich |title=Soccer: Valley Tech's Payton Linnehan with Team USA in Uruguay for U-17 Women's World Cup |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/sports/2018/11/12/soccer-valley-techs-payton-linnehan-with-team-usa-in-uruguay-for-u-17-womens-world-cup/8377629007/ |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=The Worcester Telegram & Gazette}} Linnehan played club soccer for FC Stars of Massachusetts starting at age 12. She attended Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, playing two years for the soccer team before choosing to focus on club soccer.{{cite news |last1=Brechter |first1=Henry |title=Top girls' soccer players faced with a tough call – The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/high-schools/2017/08/05/top-girls-soccer-players-faced-with-tough-call/IlIhF759ruZrT23TOGhd4K/story.html |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=BostonGlobe.com}}{{cite news |last1=Kyne |first1=Chris |title=Chris Kyne: North Middlesex girls' soccer preps for playoffs |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/opinion/columns/2017/10/17/chris-kyne-north-middlesex-girls-soccer-preps-for-playoffs/18272508007/ |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=The Worcester Telegram & Gazette}}

College career

Linnehan played for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 2019 to 2023. She recorded 34 goals and 24 assists in 90 games.{{cite news |last1=Vogt |first1=Amanda |title=Portland Thorns FC drafts women's soccer forward Payton Linnehan in NWSL Draft |url=https://www.psucollegian.com/sports/women_soccer/portland-thorns-fc-drafts-womens-soccer-forward-payton-linnehan-in-nwsl-draft/article_ab44b800-b160-11ee-9585-2ba883831e55.html |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=The Daily Collegian |date=12 January 2024 |language=en}} She was named the most outstanding offensive player of the 2019 Big Ten tournament after scoring the golden goal in the final.{{cite news|url=https://gopsusports.com/news/2019/11/10/womens-soccer-nittany-lions-win-big-ten-tournament-championship.aspx|title=Nittany Lions Win Big Ten Tournament Championship|date=2019-11-10|publisher=Penn State Nittany Lions|access-date=2024-05-03}} She scored two hat tricks at Penn State: one in the first half of a 2021 match against La Salle{{cite news |title=Linnehan's hat trick leads PSU to victory over La Salle |url=https://www.wtaj.com/sports/linnehans-hat-trick-leads-psu-to-victory-over-la-salle/ |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=WTAJ - www.wtaj.com |date=23 August 2021}} and another against Central Connecticut in the first round of the 2023 NCAA tournament.{{cite news |last1=Connington |first1=Ashley |title=Penn State Women's Soccer Dominates Central Connecticut State 7-0 In Opening Round Of NCAA Tournament |url=https://onwardstate.com/2023/11/10/penn-state-womens-soccer-dominates-central-connecticut-state-7-0-in-opening-round-of-ncaa-tournament/ |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=Onward State |date=11 November 2023}}

Professional career

The Portland Thorns chose Linnehan with the 11th pick of the 2024 NWSL Draft.{{cite news |last1=Odom |first1=Joel |title=Portland Thorns select winger Payton Linnehan in NWSL draft |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/portland-thorns/2024/01/portland-thorns-select-winger-payton-linnehan-in-nwsl-draft.html |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=oregonlive |date=13 January 2024 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Payton Linnehan PTFC |url=https://www.timbers.com/thornsfc/players/payton-linnehan/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240317044105/https://www.timbers.com/thornsfc/players/payton-linnehan/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 17, 2024 |website=Portland Thorns FC |language=en}} She signed for a two-year contract with a mutual third-year option.{{cite web |title=Portland Thorns FC sign 2024 first-round draft pick Payton Linnehan |url=https://www.thorns.com/news/portland-thorns-fc-sign-2024-first-round-draft-pick-payton-linnehan |website=Portland Thorns FC |language=en}} She scored 90 seconds into her first start for the Thorns on May 1, 2024, and added an assist to Sophia Smith five minutes later to help beat Bay FC 3–2.{{cite news|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/portland-thorns/2024/05/that-was-just-the-start-winger-payton-linnehan-another-example-of-portland-thorns-embarrassment-of-riches.html|url-access=subscription|title='That was just the start': Winger Payton Linnehan another example of Portland Thorns' embarrassment of riches|last=Hoffmann|first=Shane|date=2024-05-02|newspaper=The Oregonian|access-date=2024-05-03}}

International career

Linnehan played on the United States national under-15, under-17 and under-23 teams.{{cite news |last1=Alenstein |first1=Lyle |title=Payton Linnehan destined for her best season as a part of Penn State women's soccer |url=https://www.psucollegian.com/sports/women_soccer/payton-linnehan-destined-for-her-best-season-as-a-part-of-penn-state-women-s/article_f823eea6-3f97-11ee-9799-6ba40b86424b.html |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=The Daily Collegian |date=20 August 2023 |language=en}} She won the Golden Boot of the 2016 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship as the top scorer of the tournament.

Career statistics

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"\|Cup{{Efn\|Includes the NWSL Challenge Cup.}} !colspan="2"\|Playoffs{{Efn\|Includes NWSL Playoffs.}} ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Portland Thorns FC \|2024 \|NWSL \|4	1	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	4	1
colspan="3"\|Career total !4	1	0	0	0	0	4	1

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"|Cup{{Efn|Includes the NWSL Challenge Cup.}}

!colspan="2"|Playoffs{{Efn|Includes NWSL Playoffs.}}

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

Apps

Goals

Apps