Laura O'Sullivan
Laura O'Sullivan (born 23 August 1991) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Cardiff City Ladies and the Wales national team.
.jpg) O'Sullivan in goal for Cardiff City against Lewes in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 August 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Wales | ||
| Playing position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Cardiff City | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2017 | Cardiff City | ||
| 2017 | Yeovil Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Cyncoed Ladies | ||
| 2018– | Cardiff City | 30 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2016– | Wales | 23 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 May 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12 April 2018 | |||
She began her career with Cardiff City, making her debut after converting to playing as a goalkeeper in 2015. In 2016, she made her international debut for Wales in the Cyprus Women's Cup.
Club career
O'Sullivan was a latecomer to football; owing to difficulties finding transport, she rarely played as a teenager, and briefly gave up the game, a decision that she later stated she regretted. Having only taken up competitive football on a regular basis in 2011, she began her career as a defender, playing for Cardiff City, but switched to playing as a goalkeeper after covering the position on several occasions as the team struggled to find a regular keeper.[1]
She adopted the goalkeeping position full-time in December 2014, and after impressing for Cardiff's reserve side, broke into the club's first-team squad. In her first senior year, she established herself as the club's first-choice goalkeeper and was given the Coaches' Player of the Year award at the end of the 2014–15 season.[1][2]
O'Sullivan joined FA WSL 1 side Yeovil Town on 17 September 2017, alongside Welsh international teammate Hannah Miles.[3] However, she was released by the club without playing a game in November that year, and subsequently joined Cyncoed Ladies in the Women's Welsh Premier League.[4]
International career
O'Sullivan was called up to squad training camps on two occasions before being handed her debut for the Wales senior side by manager Jayne Ludlow on 2 March 2016, during a 2–2 draw with Finland in their opening group match of the 2016 Cyprus Women's Cup,[5] less than 18 months after converting to playing as a goalkeeper.[1] She played in Wales' two other group matches against Czech Republic and Poland as they were eliminated in the group stage.[1] In October 2017, she was named 2017 Welsh Footballer of the Year.[6][7] She kept five successive clean sheets during Wales's qualification campaign for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, including a Player of the Match award against England on 6 April 2018.[4]
References
- Matt Badcock (20 March 2016). "It's serious now for the Wales No.1". The Football League Paper. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- Sian Matheson (18 June 2015). "The story of how a Cardiff carnival led to the creation of one of Wales' most successful women's football sides". WalesOnline. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- "Yeovil Town Ladies: Wales' Laura O'Sullivan & Hannah Miles sign for WSL 1 club". BBC Sport. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- Edwards, Luke (29 August 2018). "Wales goalkeeper Laura O'Sullivan marks unlikely rise to brink of World Cup - 'I go straight to training from the office'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- "Wales and Finland draw thriller in the Cyprus Women's Cup". Football Association of Wales. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- Wilf Frith (3 October 2017). "Laura O'Sullivan Wales Player Of The Year". She Kicks. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- "Chris Gunter: Reading defender beats Gareth Bale to Wales player of year award". BBC Sport. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
External links
- Laura O'Sullivan at Soccerway