# Claire Hutton

Claire Catherine Hutton (born January 11, 2006) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team.
Hutton signed with the Current at the age of 17 in 2023. She won bronze medals with the youth national team at the 2023 Pan American Games and the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

## Early life

Hutton grew up in Bethlehem, New York, the daughter of Jennifer and Brett Hutton, and has two brothers. She began playing soccer at age four. When she was nine, she joined Alleycats Soccer Club, playing up several age groups and training with boys' teams. She later moved to ECNL club World Class FC, earning two-time All-American honors.
Hutton starred on the varsity girls' team at Bethlehem High School while in middle school. In seventh grade, aged 12, she helped lead the team to the 2018 state title game and earned all-state honors. The next year, she scored a school-record 36 goals and made 19 assists, leading the team to defend its Section 2 title and being named the New York state player of the year for 2019. She played less for the team while in high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic and youth national team call-ups. In 2022, as a junior, she joined the Bethlehem varsity boys' team, starting at forward and scoring 4 goals with 1 assist in 14 games. She graduated from high school one year early in 2023.

## Club career
### Kansas City Current

Following her high school graduation, Hutton trained with NWSL teams North Carolina Courage and NJ/NY Gotham FC. Though she was committed to play college soccer at the University of North Carolina, the New Jersey club raised the idea of her turning professional instead. She considered her options for several months and eventually tried out with the Kansas City Current, where she signed a three-year deal through the NWSL's Under-18 Entry Mechanism on December 14, 2023.
Hutton made her professional debut on the opening matchday on March 18, 2024, playing the full 90 minutes in a 5–4 win against the Portland Thorns. She started all but one game in the first half of the season and ranked second in the NWSL in tackles won in that period. She made her first professional assist on May 25, setting up Elizabeth Ball in a 1–0 win at the Utah Royals. On August 1, she scored her first professional goal, shooting from the edge of the box in a 4–1 win against Tigres in the Summer Cup group stage. Hutton played the fourth-most minutes for the Current (despite being away for a month at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup) as the team finished the regular season in fourth place and made the playoff semifinals. She was one of three players nominated for NWSL Rookie of the Year.

## International career

Hutton first represented the United States with the national under-17 team at the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship, scoring six goals as they won the tournament. Later in the year, she was left out of the roster for the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. She returned to captain the under-19 team at the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile, where they faced other countries' senior teams. She scored two goals in the tournament, including in a 2–0 win over Argentina in the bronze-medal match. She was consistently part of the under-20 team the following year at age 18. She started five games at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, missing two because of concussion protocol, as the United States finished in third place, its best result since 2012.
Hutton was called up by Emma Hayes into Futures Camp, practicing alongside the senior national team, in January 2025. She received her first call-up to the senior team for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup in February. She made her senior international debut on February 23, 2025, starting against Australia in the SheBelieves Cup. In the 68th minute, Hutton's pass to Ally Sentnor came to the feet of Michelle Cooper, who scored the second goal in the game, which ended as a 2–1 victory.

## Style of play

A defensive midfielder, Hutton possesses excellent vision, physical defensive ability, technical skill, and creativity. She has cited Sergio Busquets, Andrés Iniesta, and Kevin De Bruyne as inspirations, though her favorite player as a child was Ronaldinho.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of November 13, 2024
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Playoffs | Playoffs | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Kansas City Current | 2024 | NWSL | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 1 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 1 |
* ↑ Includes NWSL Playoffs
* ↑ Includes NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup

### International

    As of match played February 23, 2025
| National Team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| United States | 2025 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 1 | 0 |

## Honors

Kansas City Current
* NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: 2024
United States U17
* CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship: 2022
United States U19
* Pan American Games bronze medal: 2023
United States U20
* FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup bronze medal: 2024