Cork-born soccer star Denise O'Sullivan says 'yes' to proposal

O'Sullivan captained North Carolina Courage to back-to-back NWSL Challenge Cup titles in September 2023 and ended rumours of a transfer to Manchester United when she signed up to remain at the football club

Sun, 09 Mar, 2025 - 18:57

Ann Murphy

Footballer Denise O’Sullivan has said yes to the most important match of her life, after her American boyfriend proposed.

The Cork-born Irish soccer player shared photos of her diamond sparkler after the proposal by James Hamblin in North Carolina on Saturday.

The outdoor proposal was photographed, and the Knocknaheeny woman and her future groom shared images on Instagram of the romantic moment when James dropped down on one knee to propose to the 31-year-old star.

Images also showed the ecstatic couple after she said “yes”. She captioned one of the photos with the word: “Forever."

James Hamblin gets down on one knee to propose to Denise O'Sullivan on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Picture:@deniseosullivan10/Instagram

North Carolina has been home to O’Sullivan for more than seven years, where she plays with the North Caroline Courage.

She signed a contract with the club last July to extend her time to 2026. O'Sullivan has been with the club for more than seven years, but had a brief loan stint in the Women’s Super League in Britain with Brighton and Hove Albion in 2020 during the off-season for her US club.

She has been a key player for the North Carolina outfit, having the captain’s role, and also helped the team win the NWSL Championships in 2018 and 2019.

She was also involved with the team’s three straight NWSL Shields from 2017 to 2019. She captained North Carolina Courage to back-to-back NWSL Challenge Cup titles in September 2023, when the club became the most successful team in the league's history.

A possible transfer to Manchester United was ended after she signed up to remain at North Carolina Courage.

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