Jacynta Galabadaarachchi

Jacynta first started kicking a football at five simply because she wanted to spend more time with her older brother Jeremiah, who later became her biggest inspiration in both football and life.

At 14, Jacynta and her mother successfully challenged a decision that prevented her from joining an U15 boys’ Premier League team, making her the only girl in the competition.

During the pandemic, Jacynta went almost two years without seeing her family, and although her parents offered to bring her home during difficult moments, she remained in Europe to continue pursuing her career.

Jacynta is proud of her 16-letter surname, even though it could not fit on the back of her West Ham shirt and the club had to use her first name instead.

As the youngest member of West Ham’s squad—and someone who looked even younger—Jacynta was teased by her teammates with the nickname “Baby.”

Jacynta enjoys watching friends, teammates and supporters attempt to pronounce Galabadaarachchi—and is genuinely surprised whenever someone gets it right.

Jacynta has wanted to be a professional footballer since she was five, but her alternative careers would have been working as a veterinarian or a lawyer.

Jacynta joined Sassuolo’s Un Gol a 4 Zampe adoption campaign, posing with Aria, an eight-year-old Amstaff living in a shelter, to help her find a new family.