CARY, N.C. (Jan. 22, 2020) – In Courage Country, Denise O’Sullivan’s value is fully recognized. Her back-to-back NC Courage Team MVP wins say as much.

Turns out, the Irish midfielder was an instant hit in Australia as well. O’Sullivan’s seven-game loan to Western Sydney Wanderers FC of the W-League gave her a brief timeframe to make an impression on her new teammates, coaches and fans on the other side of the world. But like she’s done in Cary with the Courage, O’Sullivan quickly made a positive impact during her stint with the Wanderers, which came to a close with a 3-1 win against Perth on Sunday.

“Can’t speak highly enough of Denise,” Wanderers head coach Dean Heffernan told the Western Sydney team website . “Top professional, but most of all top person who has had a huge impact on all of the players and staff.”

The trademarked grit and hustle of O’Sullivan’s unrelenting style of play was a welcome addition to a Wanderers squad that finds itself second in the W-League, having lost just once in eight matches this season.

Like she does with the Courage, O’Sullivan bossed the midfield with the Wanderers, showing her willingness to do the dirty work – hustling back defensively to provide cover for her backline, stymying opponents with her one-v-one defending – all the while remaining a key cog in her team’s build-up play.

O’Sullivan’s impact certainly wasn’t lost on Courage-turned-Wanderer teammate Kristen Hamiton.

“She’s the motor of a midfield,” Hamilton said on the Wanderers website . “She just runs it all, she seems to never get tired. It’s just crazy. She’s constantly everywhere, winning every tackle … she might be the smallest on the field, but she’s winning everything.”



Having long ago disproved any correlation between her size and on-field impact, O’Sullivan posted great numbers in her time with the Wanderers, recording 15 interceptions while completing 85.8% of her passses for an average of 49.1 per 90 minutes. Despite playing in only seven games, O’Sullivan’s 15 tackles won rank eighth in the W-League.

If there’s any doubt on the impact she made, the homepage of Western Syndey’s website includes an article headlined “The case for O'Sullivan to be named amongst Wanderers best.”

In her only full month with Western Sydney, O’Sullivan earned W-League Player of the Month honors in December, as she notched both a goal and an assist in back-to-back games, including this finish from a crowded area at the edge of the area in the Wanderers’ 4-0 Boxing Day win over Canberra United.

Following her final match with Western Sydney, O’Sullivan shared a message on Twitter along with a photo of a signed jersey her teammates gifted her, covered with messages



“Thank you to everyone who made my time so special here,” O’Sullivan wrote. “Special mention to my teammates, absolute gems. I’ll be watching until the very end.”

The jersey is covered from top to bottom with well wishes and messages of encouragement, including a directive from Wanderers teammate Cortnee Vine.

“I’m honestly your biggest fan. Keep being a legend.”

The 2020 NWSL season will be here soon enough.

