Major moves from the NWSL to the WSL.

At one stage, for any aspiring woman footballer, the USA was the place to be, the country that was at the forefront when it came to the professionalization of the game. In those days, it was not uncommon for players from England and the rest of Europe to head across the Atlantic to join clubs in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) where they could earn much more than the paltry sums on offer for choosing to play at home.

However, as more money has come into the game, the Women’s Super League is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition, and now the trend has started to reverse. Now it is American stars who are beginning to choose to come to England to play their football.

As yet, though, few have left any permanent imprint on the English game.

Here are some recent examples

Tobin Heath

Heath is one of the most successful female players ever, winning two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals with the national team, for which she has earned 181 caps, scoring 36 times. Named in FIFA’s Women’s World XI in 2020, she joined Manchester United that same year, although her time there was blighted by injury.
The following season she joined Arsenal, but only played nine games for them before injury brought an early end to her campaign. After her contract was cancelled by mutual consent, she returned to the NWSL with OL Reign.

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Alex Morgan

With 119 goals in 198 appearances for the American national team, Morgan’s record speaks for itself. Twice named US Soccer Athlete of the Year, she helped them win the World Cup in 2015, and Olympic Gold in London in 2012.
It was, therefore, a huge coup when Tottenham Hotspur, in only their second season in the WSL, persuaded her to make the switch to North London. However, she failed to settle, and after just 4 games and two goals, she returned to the US, initially with Chicago Pride and now with San Diego Wave.

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Christen Press

Press joined Manchester United at the same time as her international team-mate Heath. A forward who has found the net 64 times for the USA, she made the switch from the Utah Royals, but failed to reproduce her form in the WSL, and a return of four goals in 14 appearances was relatively modest.
She, too, has returned State-side, this time with Angel FC based in Los Angeles.

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Rose Lavelle

Midfielder Lavelle had a similarly brief appearance in the WSL, this time with Manchester City. It was hoped that her creative ability would help create chances in the final third, but she ultimately disappointed and, after 14 appearances in her only season in England and the one goal, she too crossed back over the Atlantic, and, like Heath, now plays for OL Reign.

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Sam Mewis

Sam Mewis can at least claim to have enjoyed more success with City than her compatriots. In 32 appearances for the club in the 2020 – 2021 season, she found the net 16 times and helped them win the Women’s FA Cup for the second successive year. She was named in the WSL Team of the Year but did not hang around for a second season. Instead, she moved to North Caroline Courage and has since joined Kansas City Current.

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