It isn’t exactly all that common for a football player to also be a talented basketball player, but that is exactly what Katie Cox is looking to do. Having represented England in both disciplines, the talented Chelsea goalkeeper also plays as a guard-forward in basketball. When she was younger, she also completed her studies alongside both, saying that she wouldn’t be the player she is in either sport without the other to keep her grounded. The fact that she is such a young player means that she hasn’t yet had to choose which one to focus on, but she may well have to if she becomes a regular for Chelsea.
Who is Katie Cox?
Katie Cox comes from something of a sporting family, given the fact that her father, Mark, is a rugby union coach. Her brother Matthew, meanwhile, is on the books at Brentford and, like his sister, also plays in goal. She was born on the 28th of April 2006, growing up playing football and basketball with her brother. When she was 17-years-old, having already spent time with the Richmond Knights basketball team, she then joined the British Basketball League side Sevenoaks Suns before signing for the London Lions. Such is her level of skill as a basketball player that she represented England at numerous age levels.
Playing for the Chelsea Youth Team
When Katie Cox was just eight-years-old, she agreed to join the Chelsea Academy. Over the years that followed, she worked her way through the ranks there, being part of the team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2021-2022. A year later and the youth side also won the PGA Cup, which is the trophy for the Professional Game Academy League. The fact that she was able to do all this alongside also developing her basketball career and ensuring she focussed on her studies is part of what impressed the Chelsea Academy staff. She also impressed the England setup, representing the Lionesses as an Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 player.
If the higher-ups at Chelsea weren’t too sure about whether or not she had what it took to make it at the highest level, such doubts were surely put to bed when she became the first-ever goalkeeper to win the Women’s Academy Player of the Year award. In the summer of 2024 she was asked to keep goal in every single match as the Young Lionesses made it to the semi-finals of the Under-19s European Championship in Lithuania, eventually suffering defeat at the hands of there tournament’s eventual winners Spain. She was slowly making a name for herself, but much better was to come in her footballing career.
Signing a Professional Contract
Having been so impressive as an Academy player, it was hardly all that surprising when Katie Cox was given a call-up to train with the senior side. She soon found that it was a ‘whole other step up from playing in the Academy’. With a long-term goal to continue developing, she was delighted to be able to improve her trade alongside Zecira Musovic and Hannah Hampton, who she declared ‘two of the best in the game‘. Having worked hard at the Chelsea Academy since she was eight-years-old, the natural next step for the young goalkeeper was to be given a professional contract, which is exactly what happened in 2024.
Goal keeper Katie Cox has signed her first professional contract with Chelsea @KatieCox14_ #CFCW pic.twitter.com/JLn3xXavJ3
— Chelsea FC Women | Database (@chelsea_women) August 23, 2024
On the 23rd of August 2024, Chelsea confirmed that Cox had given their youth prospect a professional contract that tied her down to the club until the summer of 2026. Not only that, they also included an option to extent the deal by a further year, demonstrating signifiant faith in a player who is hoping that she can become the Blues’ long-term choice in goal as they look to continue their immense success in the future. Paul Green, Chelsea’s General Manager, said, “Katie is a bright prospect who has come through and excelled in our Academy programme. Indeed, picking up the Academy Player of the Year for last season.”