West Ham United have signed 27-year-old Poland international goalkeeper Kinga Szemik from French side Stade de Reims on a three-year contract.
Szemik spent the last two seasons with Stade de Reims, making 29 appearances in the Arkema Première Ligue. She previously played for Polish club TS Mitech Żywiec, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros in the United States, and French side FC Nantes.
On the international stage, Szemik has been capped by Poland 17 times, having been involved with the senior squad since 2018. She played a crucial role in Poland’s promotion to UEFA Women’s Nations League A last season and kept nine clean sheets in 22 league games with Reims.
Expressing her excitement, Szemik told whufc.com: “I’m so happy to be signing for West Ham United. West Ham is one of the biggest clubs in England with a rich history. The WSL is also the best league in the world, which has evolved so much over the years. I think this is the best place for me to progress as a player and evolve as a person as well.
“There’s always room for improvement and that’s what I look forward to most, developing as a player and trying to help the team as much as I can.”
Manager Rehanne Skinner also shared her enthusiasm about the new signing, stating: “I’m delighted to be bringing Kinga to the club, especially after such an impressive season in France where she kept the most clean sheets in the top division.
“Kinga has a real drive and ambition, with a strong work ethic – all are attributes that I admire in my players. As a goalkeeper, she has shown quality both in and out of possession on a consistent basis, which will complement our playing style. We are really looking forward to working with her.”