England and Man City's Khiara Keating denies nitrous oxide charge

Manchester City and England goalkeeper Khiara Keating has denied having canisters of nitrous oxide.

The young man from Manchester, who is 20 years old, was accused of having a Class C drug on June 18th following a probe by the police in Greater Manchester.

She showed up at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court with her mother, Nicola Keating, 48, who also pleaded not guilty to the same charge.

Both of them were released on bail without any conditions until their next court appearance on September 10th.

Nitrous oxide was classified as a Class C substance according to the Misuse of Drugs Act in November 2023.

Keeping a gas with the intention of using it in a harmful way to get high is now against the law. However, it is still acceptable to have the gas for legitimate purposes like in cooking or to help with pain during childbirth.

Jonathan Potter, the lawyer representing the case, mentioned that the women have been charged with having canisters for inhaling substances improperly in Manchester in June.

Keating was told to say if she was guilty or not, and she said she was not, just like her mother did.

The two people only talked more to make sure they knew each other's names and where they lived.

They were released on bail before the September court date, where a district judge will schedule a trial date.

Keating started out at Manchester United before being discovered by a City talent scout. She made history as the youngest player to receive the Women's Super League Golden Glove award in May. Keating achieved this by keeping nine clean sheets in 22 league games.

She has not been able to play for England yet, but she was on the bench as a substitute during the recent Uefa Women's Championship Qualification matches against Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.