Jamaican footballer (born 2003)
Kameron Necole Simmonds (born 6 December 2003) is a footballer who plays as a forward or defender for the Florida State Seminoles. Born in the United States, she represents Jamaica internationally.
Early life
Kameron Necole Simmonds was born on 6 December 2003 in Virginia[1] to Necole and Greg Simmonds. She has three younger brothers. Despite her father being a former footballer, Simmonds only took up the sport when she was unable to continue training in gymnastics after an injury at the age of 11; beginning football the next year, she trained with her father.[2]
College career
Simmonds played for Richmond United until the summer of 2022 when she began her college soccer career at the University of Tennessee for the Tennessee Volunteers.[1] She chose to join Tennessee due to her parents believing in its values; due to encouragement from Jamaica teammate Giselle Washington, who already attended the university; and being inspired by Jamaica legend and former Volunteer Khadija Shaw.[2]
As a true freshman, she made two top 100 best freshman lists, having scored four goals in sixteen appearances. Playing as a substitute, the college highlighted her productivity in her limited minutes, often with multiple shots on goal per game.[1]
International career
In the under-20 national team, Simmonds competed at the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship with the Jamaican U-20 team.[3] She scored two goals at the tournament, watched by her family.[2]
When she made her senior debut on 3 September 2022, in a 0–1 friendly loss to South Korea,[3] she became the third generation of her family to represent Jamaica in senior international football after her father, Greg, and grandfather, Patrick.[2]
Simmonds then competed at the 2023 Cup of Nations, where her team finished in fourth place.[4] On 23 June 2023, she was included in the final Jamaica squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[5] She made her World Cup debut in the second group game, coming on for Kayla McKenna in a 1–0 victory over Panama.[6]
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