Denise O'Sullivan's move to Manchester United off table as she commits to Courage

As captain and record appearance holder for North Carolina Courage, the NWSL outfit were eager to retain the 30-year-old.

Mon, 29 Jul, 2024 - 15:32

John Fallon

Denise O’Sullivan has quashed the prospect of a move to Manchester United by extending her contract with US team North Carolina Courage until 2026.

The Cork woman, who scored her 21st goal in 115 caps for Ireland in the recent 3-1 win over France at Pairc Uí Chaoímh, had been linked with a move to Old Trafford in this transfer window as her deal ended in January.

As captain and record appearance holder for North Carolina Courage, the NWSL outfit were eager to retain the 30-year-old and their determination resulted in fresh improved terms being brokered.

The midfielder has enjoyed success stateside since moving to NCC in 2017 and will be 32 by the time the “guaranteed, two-year contract extension through the 2026 NWSL season” lapses.

“I’m delighted and honored to extend my time with the North Carolina Courage,” said the playmaker from Knocknaheeny “When I joined seven years ago, I had no idea how big an impact this club would have on me as a player and a person. The Courage prioritizes playing a beautiful style of football that suits me well and holds everyone to incredibly high standards while creating a family environment that allows for healthy growth.

“The opportunity to serve as captain of this club has been one of the great joys of my professional life, and I am excited to stay and help teach the next wave of players what it means to be a member of the Courage.

“We’ve had a lot of great accomplishments in my time here, but we have much more to do. I’m excited to get back to work with my girls,” O’Sullivan said.

Courage’s head coach Sean Nahas said: “This is a great day for our club. Denise’s decision to stay here in North Carolina means everything. She’s a club legend, a leader, a world-class person and player.

“It means the world to me and our staff that she trusts us to help her continue to grow as a player and add to her legendary career. She has stood by us and helped us get through so much, both on and off the field.

“She is the embodiment of what it is to be a Courage player and someone I have the utmost respect for. She has been a massive part of our past and she will be a major part of shaping our future. I am absolutely thrilled to have her stay here and can’t wait for our captain and leader to continue setting the standard and raising the bar of the club and team.

He added about the player who spent a brief loan spell in the WSL with Brighton and Hove Albion during the Covid-19 era: “Denise means so much to this club and embodies the Courage culture. She’s a true professional, a world-class player, a fierce competitor, a leader, and one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. She’s proven her love for this club countless times and has earned the full admiration of her teammates, coaches, and the community. We’re thrilled she’ll wear the kit for years to come,” said Chief Soccer Officer Curt Johnson.

Since Opta began tracking stats for the NWSL in 2016, no player has won possession more times than O’Sullivan’s 1,289, while the midfielder also ranks third for tackles won (274), and second for duels won (928) in that span.

Across all NWSL competitions (regular season, playoffs, and Challenge Cup), O’Sullivan has donned the Courage kit 156 times, accumulating 13,166 minutes.

She helped the team win the NWSL Championships in 2018 and 2019 with three straight NWSL Shields from 2017 through 2019 and a pair of NWSL Challenge Cup titles in 2022 and 2023 while also helping the Courage claim the inaugural ICC Championship in 2018.

For Ireland, O’Sullivan scored the goal against Slovakia which secured a shootout against Scotland for a place in the World Cup. Admittedly disappointed with her displays at the finals last year in Australia, she thrived by operating further up the pitch and illustrated his repertoire by drilling in the opener against the French, a side ranked second in the world.

After breaking their qualification duck, Ireland now have a first Euros in their sights. They should breeze past Georgia in the semi-final of the playoff series before facing either Wales or Slovakia, also over two legs, in November for a place at the finals in Switzerland in July 2025.