Rachel Daly transfer: England star joins Aston Villa after seven years in NWSL with Houston Sprint

The Houston Sprint announced the official transfer of long time Sprint forward Rachel Daly to Aston Villa on Tuesday. Daly used to be drafted by the club in 2016, and played the entirety of her club career to date with the Houston franchise. The news comes after England’s women’s national team made a championship run right through the 2022 UEFA women’s Euro, where the Lionesses defeated Germany 2-1 in the cup last. The Euro title used to be the first for the women’s team in its history.

“My time in Houston has been a journey. Not many of us can say they have got played at the same club for seven years. I am honored to have worn orange for that length of time,” Daly said in a club release. “I absolutely love this club and the city of Houston. I have created memories that will final an entire life. I feel happy knowing that I am leaving this club in a much better place than when I arrived. I will be able to’t wait to see the future success of the Houston Sprint. I wish to thank everyone, from the backside of my heart.” 

The official transfer used to be put in motion after a request by Daly to be closer to home, and the 30-year-old forward leaves Houston with 116 appearances for the club in all competitions. She led the team to the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, the first trophy in club history, and scored 42 goals and tallied 12 assists for the team across seven campaigns in the NWSL. 

“Rachel has been an integral a part of the Houston Sprint for seven years and she will be missed not only as a world-class footballer, but also as a driven and passionate leader off and on the pitch,” Sprint president Jessica O’Neill said. “This transfer will result in Rachel being much closer to her loved ones, a request we wanted to make each effort to honor. We’re deeply grateful for the commitment and loyalty she’s shown to this city and wish her the most productive in her next adventure.” 

Daly used to be regularly the sole player representing Houston across more than a few NWSL accolades. She used to be named to the league Second XI in 2018 and 2021, and earned MVP, Best XI, and the Golden Boot at the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. Additionally, she led the team in scoring in 2021 and 2018, plus finished tied for the most goals in the 2019 and 2017 seasons. 

Houston Sprint are currently in third place in the league table, and polite in playoff position with eight games remaining for the club. Whether the team makes the playoffs, it’s going to be the first ever NWSL steady season playoff appearance, and would be without the longtime Sprint goal scorer. 

Daly also took to social media to leave a more personalized message for fans touching on the topic, saying “This team is on the point of history and I have to watch from the sidelines as I step absent to be closer to circle of relatives.”

“To my teammates, congrats on such an amazing run these past couple of weeks. I’m so happy for each and every of you. I haven’t any doubt you’ll change into the first Houston Sprint team to succeed in the playoffs and I will be your number one fan from afar.”

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