Adelaide United can confirm it has signed United States defender, Kayla Sharples, on loan from National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side Chicago Red Stars for the Liberty A-League 2021/22 season.
Hailing from Naperville, Illinois, the 24-year-old has played 16 matches in the American top-flight since making her debut in 2019. This year she is currently experiencing a breakout campaign starting in 12 of her 14 appearances.
The commanding centre-back is strong in the tackle, has great positional awareness to anticipate danger, and is excellent at playing out from the back.
Prior to joining Chicago, Sharples played her college career at Northwestern University between 2015 and 2018. She amassed 87 matches which included starting 86 consecutive games, scoring nine goals.
In 2020, Sharples also had a brief stint in Finland with Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS), registering six appearances.
Speaking on her decision to join the Reds, Sharples said: “I’m really excited that my footballing journey is taking me to Adelaide United.
“Getting the opportunity to play in Australia has been a goal of mine, as I’ve heard lots of good things about the quality of the competition.
“After talking to Adrian (Stenta) it was an easy choice for me to come to Adelaide and I can’t wait to get to work and enjoy a successful season.”
Adelaide United’s Liberty A-League Head Coach, Adrian Stenta, said: “Kayla is a fantastic player who has made great strides this year in the NWSL.
“She is a dominant defender and I’m confident she’ll bring more experience and leadership not only to our defence, but the squad in general.
“The season’s approaching fast, but we’ve still got a few more exciting additions to announce in the coming days.”
Sharples will join her new Adelaide United teammates upon the completion of her government-mandated quarantine.
