Key Takeaways
- Lindsey Heaps will leave Olympique Lyonnais Féminin this summer to join Denver Summit in the American NWSL after four years in France.
- The United States captain hopes her European spell encourages more American players to test themselves abroad.
- Lyon face Arsenal Women in the second leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final on Saturday.
Lindsey Heaps is preparing to close her French chapter. The United States national team captain will leave Olympique Lyonnais Féminin this summer. She will return home to play for Denver Summit in the National Women’s Soccer League.
The 31-year-old midfielder has spent four years in Lyon. She arrived in January 2022 as a different person. Now she leads the world number two national team. She has become a symbol for American footballers playing in Europe.
“I hope young players see me as an example,” Heaps said. “It is rare for Americans to stay so long at a European club. Many players in the past found life abroad very difficult.”
Heaps has helped change the pattern. The NWSL now fears losing its best stars to Europe. The latest US squad included seven players based overseas. Five play in England’s Women’s Super League. Two, including Heaps and team-mate Lily Yohannes, play for Lyon.
“Living away from home is hard,” she explained. “You face a new culture and language. But these have been the best years of my career. You train with the best players in the world. I wanted to prove this was possible for American girls.”
Her journey started in Colorado. As a child, she played American football with her older brother. Her parents, both skilled runners, supported her. These games taught her to compete. They showed her she could try new things.
“I was a shy child,” she recalled. “Leaving my comfort zone was not easy. But playing with my brother helped. My mother also coached my first football team. Those memories started when I was five years old. Football gave me confidence.”
This weekend, Lyon meet Arsenal Women in the Champions League. The match gives Heaps a chance to end her time in France with a trophy. Arsenal have linked with the Dirt Is Good campaign. The project encourages girls to play outside. Research shows one in five UK girls lose interest in outdoor play by age eight.
Heaps supports this cause. It reminds her of her own childhood. “We found a gender gap,” said Tati Lindenberg from Dirt Is Good. “Girls are 22 per cent less likely to play outside than boys. Many think getting dirty is only for boys. But outdoor play builds confidence and creativity.”
Heaps almost moved to France at 17. Lyon scouts wanted her then. She chose to finish school in Colorado first. One year later, Paris Saint-Germain came calling. She accepted the challenge.
“I asked myself what would help me reach the top,” she said. “I loved watching Barcelona on television as a child. I dreamed of raising the Champions League trophy. I had to leave my comfort zone.”
She later returned to America with Portland in 2016. The national team rarely picked players abroad then. But in 2022, she came back to France with Lyon. Even with experience, the move brought nerves.
“You still feel stress joining a new team,” she said. “But then I remember how far I have come. I know who I am now. That is why I took this chance.”
Heaps leaves Lyon with medals and memories. More importantly, she leaves a path for others to follow. Her story shows that taking risks can lead to great rewards.