Shelbourne have signed World Cup winner and three-time Olympic gold medalist Heather O’Reilly - after she was encouraged to come out of retirement by Arsene Wenger.
The 231-time capped former USA international has come out of retirement for the opportunity to play Champions League football with the Women’s National League leaders.
O’Reilly (37) has signed a deal until the end of the year and has moved to Dublin with her husband and two young sons.
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She retired three years ago after a spell with North Carolina Courage, where she played alongside Ireland international Denise O’Sullivan.
O’Reilly also played with Louise Quinn at Arsenal and she explained how the move to Tolka Park came about.
“I played in Soccer Aid a few months ago. Arsene Wenger was my manager,” she said.
“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.”
O’Reilly scored 47 goals for the US in a 15-year international career, including the 2004 Olympic semi-final winner against Germany.
They went on to win gold that year against Brazil, and again in 2008 and 2012.
Her World Cup win came in 2015 when the US defeated Japan 5-2 in the decider in Vancouver, in front of more than 53,000 fans.
She spent most of her club career in the USA before moving to Arsenal for the 2017/18 campaign.
O’Reilly added: “I felt I had more to give, and the project at Shelbourne FC caught my eye from across the Atlantic.
“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 is thrilled to add such a highly decorated player to his squad.
He said: “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.”
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