Reign FC have made another addition to their roster this season, this time bringing in goalkeeper Casey Murphy. The Reign sign Murphy from Division 1 Féminine side Montpellier HSC for an undisclosed amount and will be joining the Reign effective immediately.
Murphy looks forward to playing in the NWSL
Speaking to the club's official website, Casey Murphy stated that she had a "tremendous learning experience" in France over the past two seasons and she was now ready to achieve new things in the National Women's Soccer League. Murphy also mentioned that she was "excited to join such a talented team" in the Reign and was looking forward to helping the team reach their "goal of winning championships".
Reign head coach Vlakdo Andonovski also released a statement about Murphy's signing, stating that he was "thrilled" to bring Murphy to the club as "it's a good day" when someone of Murphy's talent becomes available for a team. Andonovski also noted that he felt Murphy would be able to help the Reign this season, especially since they will be losing Lydia Williams for most of the summer due to her obligations with Australia at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
A solid career shows that Murphy has what it takes to play at a high level in the NWSL
Before beginning her professional career, Casey Muprhy played for Rutgers University where she managed to keep 45 clean sheets during her collegiate career. Murphy was also named as a Mac Hermann Trophy semifinalist in 2017 and was selected to the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Region teams on two separate occasions.
After graduation, Murphy joined Montpellier and stayed there for two seasons, earning a reputation of being one of the best goalkeepers in the Division 1 Féminine. Despite a subpar season this past season, something that applied to most of her teammates, Murphy is still a great acquisition for any team. After the 2017/2018 season, Murphy was voted Goalkeeper of the Year by the French Football Federation, a testament to her talent considering the other goalkeepers currently in the league.
Murphy has yet to earn a senior cap for the United States Women's National Team but she did feature for the national team at the youth level. She played six matched for the USWNT at the 2016 U20 Women's World Cup which saw the team finish in fourth that year and also featured for lower level youth teams as well. With her return to the U.S., Murphy has the chance to showcase her talent and hopefully get her senior team call up in the near future.
Quotes via ReignFC.com