Kaylan Marckese, the former Arsenal goalkeeper who endured a career disrupted by two ACL ruptures to the same knee, has retired from professional football at the age of 27.
Her decision was confirmed quietly through a simple update online. On LinkedIn, she now describes herself as “a retired professional goalkeeper looking to transition into the sports business landscape after suffering too much damage to my knee after multiple ACL surgeries.”
Marckese joined Arsenal in July 2022 from HB Køge but made just two Arsenal appearances, with an outing against FC Zurich in the Champions League the high point of her time in north London.
Her search for regular playing time took her to Bristol City on loan for the 2023/24 season, but her progress was halted almost immediately. She tore her left ACL in November 2023 and returned to Arsenal to begin the long rehabilitation process.
She left the club in May 2024 and moved back to the United States, signing for her hometown side Tampa Bay Sun.
Her return there was also sadly short lived. 10 minutes into her debut in February 2025, Marckese tore the same ACL again.
Her retirement brings an early end to a career that took her from the United States to Iceland, Denmark and England, and into a Champions League dressing room at Arsenal and we wish her luck in whatever she ends up doing post-playing.
Marckese ends her playing career with two Danish titles, an Icelandic Super Cup, a League Cup and a USL Super League title.