Three-time Canadian Olympic soccer medalist Desiree Scott has reversed retirement plans announced in the fall and signed with the Ottawa Rapids of the new Northern Super League, the team announced Tuesday.
The 37-year-old defensive midfielder from Winnipeg won medals from 2012 to 2021 and played in three World Cups, making 187 appearances for the senior national team.
She played seven professional seasons with Kansas City and also played for the Utah Royals, England Notts County and Vancouver Whitecaps women’s teams in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Scott said in October that it was time to take a break from playing after the NWSL season, adding that he felt comfortable with his decision. She missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury and appeared in 12 games in 2024.
Crunch tackles are Scott’s calling card and have earned her the nickname “The Destroyer.” Her most recent coach, Vlatko Andonovski, called her one of the smartest soccer players he has ever worked with.
“My goal is to continue to grow the game, inspire those around me and help build this league with great teammates and friends like Diana Matheson, Steph Labbé and Christine Sinclair,” Scott said in a Rapid FC press release. “It is,” he said.
“We’ve been talking about the need for a professional league for Canadian players for a long time, and to see it become a reality is truly a dream come true.”
Scott is the seventh and most high-profile player to sign for Rapid FC, one of six founding members of the Northern Super League starting this spring.
Other players include Ottawa’s Emily Amano, Florence Belzile and Miranda Smith, who was the 2018 national championship tournament MVP for the Ottawa Gee-Gees.
Desiree Scott is the only signing with senior national team experience so far, although defender Liv Scott (no relation) has featured for the youth national team.
