After six-and-a-half years, Rachel Daly has left the Houston Dash, signing with Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League in England.
Villa on Tuesday announced that they had signed Daly to a three-year contract, paying Houston an unspecified transfer fee to complete the deal.
“My time in Houston has been a journey. Not many people can say they have played at the same club for seven years. I am honored to have worn orange for that length of time,” Daly told the Dash team site. “I absolutely love this club and the city of Houston. I have created memories that will last a lifetime. I feel happy knowing that I am leaving this club in a much better place than when I arrived. I can’t wait to see the future success of the Houston Dash. I want to thank everyone, from the bottom of my heart.”
In a personal statement posted to her Twitter account, Daly cited a desire to be closer to her family back in England as the motivation for the move.
Houston, thank you for 7 years of unbelievable memories. I will miss you 🧡 #DTFO pic.twitter.com/R0EAC2cQVx
— Rachel Daly (@RachelDaly3) August 9, 2022
“It pains me to say goodbye,” wrote Daly. “This past year for myself and my family has been incredibly tough. The silver lining has been bringing football home and getting the opportunity to be around family. This made me realize this is exactly what I needed, to be home.”
Daly leaves Houston as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, having posted 37 regular season goals. She had been Houston’s captain for years, and was named MVP of the 2020 Challenge Cup, which saw the Dash win a trophy for the first time. Recently, Daly was a starter for England as they won Euro 2022 in what could be a landmark moment for women’s soccer in the country.
“This is a big signing for us and one we’ve worked hard on completing. Rachel is a top forward and a proven goalscorer,” said Villa manager Carla Ward in a team statement announcing the move. “Having performed admirably at full-back this summer, she showed us that she is a player you simply need in your team. But for us, she is a forward and we can’t wait to see her scoring goals.”
While losing your captain and all-time leading scorer in the middle of the season is never ideal, Houston seems to already have a solution in place. With Daly away with England, the Dash traded for Ebony Salmon, who has scored six times in five games since a midseason trade from Racing Louisville.
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