Jaelene Daniels comes out of retirement and returns to NC Courage

Today the North Carolina Courage announced that Jaelene Daniels has come out of retirement to join the club on a one-year contract, with an option for an additional year in 2023. 

The news was announced in a statement released by the club on social media, celebrating the player's return to the professional ranks after giving birth to her son in August of this year. 

"I'm excited to get back to playing with the Courage," Daniels told the NC Courage's official website.

Daniels added: "This past year has been refreshing for my body and mind. I'm thankful I said I was retiring because it has allowed me to take a step back, enjoy my family and friends, be a mom, and remember how much I love soccer”.

"It was a season of life I didn't know I needed. I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead and I'm grateful to the Courage for giving me the opportunity to play again," said the defender who had retired in 2020. 

The player was a standout early in her career having been selected seventh overall out of Texas Tech in the 2015 NWSL Draft, to the Western New York Flash, where she started all 20 games as a rookie defender. 

Daniels was a major contributor to the Western New York Flash's 2016 championship, starting 15 games, including the NWSL Semifinal and NWSL Final. 

The defender scored the penalty kick in the championship game to help secure her first of three NWSL championships.

Daniels' NWSL numbers are out of this world

The player is practically considered a living legend due to her impressive records. 

She has played 99 games as a professional and has been a starter in all of them. Although she is not a defender who scores a lot of goals, the 3 goals she scored during her career were important and made the difference. 

She has an impeccable record of 119 steals and 16 assists in her career before her retirement. 

"The prospect of a player returning with such an impact, both on and off the field, sparked a lot of discussions internally and with a cross-section of fans," said club owner Steve Malik.

"As a result of those discussions, we made the decision to welcome Jae back based on the positive impact she had on Courage's success story. We look forward to seeing Jaelene on the field and welcoming her and her family back to our club," concluded Malik.

Jaelene Daniel returns to try to rescue NC Courage

The player's return appears to be a sign that the team is looking to get back on track after last season's championship. 

After being considered the best team in the NWSL in previous years, in 2021 the Courage, who at their lowest point only managed to accumulate one win in their last ten games in the league. 

Another significant change is the addition of Sean Nahas as the team's new head coach. 

A coach who knows the players and the philosophy they have in the club well. Since the NWSL franchise landed in North Carolina in 2017, Sean has been involved with the first team. 

Could Daniels' arrival be the sign that the team is about to return to its old glories? Only time will tell.