As Esme Morgan, Jess Carter and Katie Zelem prepare to feature in the top league in the U.S., GOAL judges the English stars who have done it before
For a long time, the number of England internationals to have played in the NWSL, the top league in United States women's soccer, has been rather small. There have been high-profile cases, such as Rachel Daly at the Houston Dash, and regular returnees, such as Lianne Sanderson and Jodie Taylor, but this summer has seen no fewer than three members of the Lionesses' 2023 Women's World Cup squad head Stateside for new challenges.
Esme Morgan was the first to seal her move across the pond, leaving childhood club Manchester City to join the Washington Spirit. Jess Carter followed, signing for Gotham after six years at Chelsea, and former Manchester United captain Katie Zelem then landed on the west coast in August, becoming Angel City's latest addition.
All three are doing something that few England stars have done before, in signing for an NWSL club for several years. But there are a number of Lionesses who have lit up the league before. So, who are those stars and how did they fare? GOAL takes a look back over the years…
USA TODAY SportsLianne Sanderson (Four clubs)
Fifty times an England international, the best spell of Lianne Sanderson's career came when she was part of Arsenal's all-conquering team in the 2000s – but she also had some highlights in the NWSL in the 2010s. Prime among those was her 2013 season, when she was named to the league's Second XI, in a frontline with Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair, after a superb year with the Boston Breakers.
Following her Breakers exit, Sanderson would have short stints with three different U.S. clubs before finishing her career in Europe with Juventus. A five-game spell with the Portland Thorns wasn't fruitful, but she made an impact at the Orlando Pride, as she was directly involved in three goals despite making just three starts, and enjoyed similar success with the Western New York Flash, with which she won the NWSL Championship.
Verdict? Hit.
AdvertisementUSA TODAY SportsJodie Taylor (Five clubs)
Through a 21-year career, Jodie Taylor played for no fewer than 17 different clubs, five of which were in the NWSL. The first of those was the Washington Spirit, with which she had an outstanding 2014 season and was named to the league's Second XI after netting 11 goals in 22 appearances. That was the best scoring stint Taylor had in the NWSL, though that does not mean there were further highlights.
After a short-but-sweet spell with the Portland Thorns, Taylor spent two years with the Seattle Reign in 2018 and 2019 and scored nine times in the first of those two seasons, her second-best return in the U.S.. In the twilight of her career, the former striker, who played 51 times for England and won the Golden Boot at the 2017 Euros, returned to the NWSL for two seasons with the Orlando Pride and the San Diego Wave, before hanging up her boots in 2023.
Verdict? Hit.
USA TODAY SportsRachel Daly (Houston Dash)
Rachel Daly is the one Lioness who stayed with one NWSL side for a long time. The former England star, who retired from international duty in April 2024, spent almost seven years with the Houston Dash and established herself as a fixture with her national team thanks to her form at the club.
Daly captained the Dash to its first major title in 2020 when it lifted the NWSL Challenge Cup, and she was named the competition's MVP while also collecting its Golden Boot award. That was the high point of a spell that saw her become the club's all-time top goal-scorer, as well as a firm fan favorite. Though the Dash never made the postseason during her time in Houston, Daly was also twice named to the NWSL's Second XI, in 2018 and 2021.
Verdict? Hit.
Getty ImagesNatasha Dowie (Boston Breakers)
A player whom many believe should have won more than the 14 caps she did amass for the Lionesses, with her controversially left out of squads for the European Championships in 2013 and the World Cup in 2015, Natasha Dowie spent a year-and-a-half with the Boston Breakers shortly before it folded in January 2018.
For the club, neither season was successful, with it finishing bottom of the standings in 2016 and only one place higher in 2017. However, Dowie was its top scorer in that time and also wore the captain's armband on a few occasions, as one of the best leaders in the team.
Verdict? Hit.