SO, DENISE O’SULLIVAN has said goodbye to the USA for now, but this is not her first rodeo in the Women’s Super League.
The Ireland midfielder has signed for Liverpool, having spent almost a decade in America’s National Women’s Soccer League.
It may not be widely remembered, but the 31-year-old had a brief loan stint at Brighton & Hove Albion in 2020.
A return had often been touted, with strong links to Manchester United previously, while she told RTÉ last October that “going to England is always in the back of my mind”.
As first reported by The Evening Echo, WSL strugglers Liverpool announced their latest signing last night.
From North Carolina to Merseyside, an incredible career continues.
American dream
The NWSL was viewed as the world-leading league back when O’Sullivan moved.
She joined Houston Dash from Glasgow City in March 2016 after stints with Peamount United and her native Cork City. Following a difficult season in Houston, she requested to be waived and was picked up by North Carolina Courage in July 2017.
O’Sullivan thrived at the Courage, establishing herself as one of the top midfielders in the league, winning two NWSL Championships and three NWSL Shields, and captaining the team from 2023 onwards.
She spent two off seasons on loan in Australia’s W-League, with Canberra United (2018) and Western Sydney Wanderers (2019), before her first spell in England in the autumn of 2020.
The Covid-19 pandemic left her in a tricky situation during Ireland’s Euro 2022 qualifiers: travel from the US to Ireland involved a two-week quarantine, and the Corkonian would have to do so three times across nine weeks. There were no isolation requirements arriving from England.
North Carolina Courage were understanding of her circumstances, and signing for Brighton ensured O’Sullivan’s availability for Ireland’s crunch clashes against Germany and Ukraine.
They ultimately ended in heartbreak, but paved the way for a first taste of WSL action.
Brighton days
O’Sullivan played just nine games for the Seagulls, under Hope Powell and alongside Irish teammates Megan Connolly and Rianna Jarrett, and goalkeeper Megan Walsh, who would later declare.
O'Sullivan on the ball for Brighton. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
“I thought it would be a challenge for myself to come here and try and help this team move up the table and win more games,” she told Virgin Media Sport as she signed.
There was less fanfare and footage then, but here’s what we know.
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O’Sullivan made her debut in an impressive 0-0 draw with Manchester City, coming off the bench at half-time. She went on to start the other eight games in the Brighton midfield, winning one, drawing one and losing six.
She marked her first start with her first – and only – goal in English football. A last-minute header forced extra-time in an FA Cup final quarter-final against Birmingham City, but Brigthon were defeated after a penalty shootout.
As O’Sullivan’s time in England came to a close, she reflected on the differences between the WSL and NWSL in an in-house interview with the Courage.
“The quality of the leagues are similar, but the style of play is quite different,” O’Sullivan said.
“It’s a lot more technical here and it’s very physical – there’s always a battle in the middle of the park. In the US it’s a lot more about transitional play, it’s up and down, very athletic, I would say they are the main differences.”
A little over five years on, that remains the case. O’Sullivan has thrived in the American game, but is extremely technical and can be physical so should readjust seamlessly.
WSL return
While her club career has been more difficult to follow, those who watch O’Sullivan play for Ireland will know just how good she is. With 128 caps to her credit, she mixes fire with ice as the heartbeat of the team. A leader on and off the pitch, her professionalism is widely lauded.
“Denise O’Sullivan, I don’t think you really understand how good she is until you work with her,” as Ireland head coach Carla Ward recently told The 42.
“She is, in my opinion, a world-class individual. And I genuinely believe she can play anywhere. She is an absolute breath of fresh air to work with. She’s one of the very, very best.”
O’Sullivan will now look to make her impact felt at WSL strugglers Liverpool, bottom of the table and in the midst of an injury crisis.
But like when she joined Brighton, she will relish the challenge.
She will link up with injured Ireland teammate Leanne Kiernan and a former midfield partner at the Courage, Fuka Nagano, on Merseyside.Recently-retired Niamh Fahey is another Irish presence at the club, the women’s first technical co-ordinator.
O’Sullivan’s solidity in and out of possession will be welcome, as well as her progressive approach, experience and energy, as Gareth Taylor’s side look to shore up and steer clear of relegation
At this juncture of her career, it seems like the right time to move closer to home.
While she and her fiancé James bought a house in North Carolina last year, her time to sample the WSL again is running out.
It has arguably surpassed the NWSL as the world leader, with more investment and interest of late. Returning to Ireland for international duty will be more straightforward, while operating closer to home will offer more sponsorship and media opportunities.
And perhaps above all else, time with family and friends will be more plentiful after almost a decade across the Atlantic.
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Denise O'Sullivan can readjust from athletic US style to more technical, combative WSL
SO, DENISE O’SULLIVAN has said goodbye to the USA for now, but this is not her first rodeo in the Women’s Super League.
The Ireland midfielder has signed for Liverpool, having spent almost a decade in America’s National Women’s Soccer League.
It may not be widely remembered, but the 31-year-old had a brief loan stint at Brighton & Hove Albion in 2020.
A return had often been touted, with strong links to Manchester United previously, while she told RTÉ last October that “going to England is always in the back of my mind”.
As first reported by The Evening Echo, WSL strugglers Liverpool announced their latest signing last night.
From North Carolina to Merseyside, an incredible career continues.
American dream
The NWSL was viewed as the world-leading league back when O’Sullivan moved.
She joined Houston Dash from Glasgow City in March 2016 after stints with Peamount United and her native Cork City. Following a difficult season in Houston, she requested to be waived and was picked up by North Carolina Courage in July 2017.
O’Sullivan thrived at the Courage, establishing herself as one of the top midfielders in the league, winning two NWSL Championships and three NWSL Shields, and captaining the team from 2023 onwards.
She spent two off seasons on loan in Australia’s W-League, with Canberra United (2018) and Western Sydney Wanderers (2019), before her first spell in England in the autumn of 2020.
The Covid-19 pandemic left her in a tricky situation during Ireland’s Euro 2022 qualifiers: travel from the US to Ireland involved a two-week quarantine, and the Corkonian would have to do so three times across nine weeks. There were no isolation requirements arriving from England.
North Carolina Courage were understanding of her circumstances, and signing for Brighton ensured O’Sullivan’s availability for Ireland’s crunch clashes against Germany and Ukraine.
They ultimately ended in heartbreak, but paved the way for a first taste of WSL action.
Brighton days
O’Sullivan played just nine games for the Seagulls, under Hope Powell and alongside Irish teammates Megan Connolly and Rianna Jarrett, and goalkeeper Megan Walsh, who would later declare.
“I thought it would be a challenge for myself to come here and try and help this team move up the table and win more games,” she told Virgin Media Sport as she signed.
There was less fanfare and footage then, but here’s what we know.
O’Sullivan made her debut in an impressive 0-0 draw with Manchester City, coming off the bench at half-time. She went on to start the other eight games in the Brighton midfield, winning one, drawing one and losing six.
She marked her first start with her first – and only – goal in English football. A last-minute header forced extra-time in an FA Cup final quarter-final against Birmingham City, but Brigthon were defeated after a penalty shootout.
As O’Sullivan’s time in England came to a close, she reflected on the differences between the WSL and NWSL in an in-house interview with the Courage.
“The quality of the leagues are similar, but the style of play is quite different,” O’Sullivan said.
“It’s a lot more technical here and it’s very physical – there’s always a battle in the middle of the park. In the US it’s a lot more about transitional play, it’s up and down, very athletic, I would say they are the main differences.”
A little over five years on, that remains the case. O’Sullivan has thrived in the American game, but is extremely technical and can be physical so should readjust seamlessly.
WSL return
While her club career has been more difficult to follow, those who watch O’Sullivan play for Ireland will know just how good she is. With 128 caps to her credit, she mixes fire with ice as the heartbeat of the team. A leader on and off the pitch, her professionalism is widely lauded.
“Denise O’Sullivan, I don’t think you really understand how good she is until you work with her,” as Ireland head coach Carla Ward recently told The 42.
“She is, in my opinion, a world-class individual. And I genuinely believe she can play anywhere. She is an absolute breath of fresh air to work with. She’s one of the very, very best.”
O’Sullivan will now look to make her impact felt at WSL strugglers Liverpool, bottom of the table and in the midst of an injury crisis.
But like when she joined Brighton, she will relish the challenge.
She will link up with injured Ireland teammate Leanne Kiernan and a former midfield partner at the Courage, Fuka Nagano, on Merseyside.Recently-retired Niamh Fahey is another Irish presence at the club, the women’s first technical co-ordinator.
O’Sullivan’s solidity in and out of possession will be welcome, as well as her progressive approach, experience and energy, as Gareth Taylor’s side look to shore up and steer clear of relegation
At this juncture of her career, it seems like the right time to move closer to home.
While she and her fiancé James bought a house in North Carolina last year, her time to sample the WSL again is running out.
It has arguably surpassed the NWSL as the world leader, with more investment and interest of late. Returning to Ireland for international duty will be more straightforward, while operating closer to home will offer more sponsorship and media opportunities.
And perhaps above all else, time with family and friends will be more plentiful after almost a decade across the Atlantic.
This second coming will be one to keep an eye on.
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Denise O'Sullivan Soccer Style and substance