USA FOOTBALLING ICON Heather O’Reilly’s bolt-from-the-blue signing with Shelbourne has been completed by all parties.

The 37-year-old winger has come out of retirement to join Noel King’s Women’s National League champions having recently been convinced by former Arsenal men’s manager Arsene Wenger that it wasn’t too late for her to play in the Women’s Champions League for the first time.

Prior to her international retirement in 2016, O’Reilly won a World Cup and three Olympic gold medals for her country. Her 231 caps with the USA make her the 10th most capped player of all time.

O’Reilly originally called time on her professional career three years ago after winning the double with the North Carolina Courage, where she played alongside Republic of Ireland international Denise O’Sullivan.

She had spent the season prior with Katie McCabe and Louise Quinn at Arsenal — her sole stint in Europe across a 15-year professional career to that point — but missed out on fulfilling her dream of playing Champions League football as the Gunners hadn’t qualified.

O'Reilly in action for North Carolina Courage in 2018. Andy Mead Andy Mead

Upon confirmation of her signing with Shels, O’Reilly, who first revealed the news of her move to Ireland on the BBC World Football Podcast on Thursday, reiterated the role another key Arsenal figure, Wenger, had played in her sensational move to Tolka Park.

“I played in Soccer Aid a few months ago,” O’Reilly told Shels’ official website.

Arsene Wenger was my manager. We got talking after one of the sessions, and he said, ‘Heather, you are very good, you should still play’. I said, ‘Oh thanks Arsene, maybe. I never did play Champions League football, and it always bothered me.’ He says, ‘You should do it. You should play.’ I puffed out my chest, put some more thought into it, and said I was going to start having some conversations.

“Arsene Wenger was the catalyst to get me out of retirement, get the boots back on and give it a go with Shelbourne FC.

“I felt I had more to give, and the project at Shelbourne FC caught my eye from across the Atlantic,” continued O’Reilly, who will move to Portmarnock with her husband and their two sons.

Ireland is where my family came from before moving to the US, so there’s a special connection. I’m delighted to sign for this great club and help Shels on the journey to become one of the best teams the island of Ireland has ever seen.

“I’m relishing the chance to put on the boots again and hoping my experience and skills play a part in the pursuit of silverware.”

Shels boss Noel King added of O’Reilly’s signing:

Heather is a proven winner. We’re thrilled to bring one of the greatest players to ever play the game to Tolka Park. It’s an amazing moment for the club and for the Women’s National League as a whole to have a player of Heather’s stature. I think in particular, our younger players will flourish sharing the stage with a player who has seen, done and won it all.

O’Reilly scored 47 goals and registered 55 assists for the USA during her international career. She won four national championship titles with three clubs in the USA, a league cup with Arsenal in 2018, and her no.20 jersey with her college team, the North Carolina Tar Heels, was retired after she led them to national titles in 2003 and 2006.

Originally published at 09.29