West Ham United has officially announced the signing of the talented rising star from Ireland, Jessie Stapleton. The 18-year-old left-back's departure from Shelbourne was confirmed earlier this month, and she has now chosen West Ham over rivals in the Women's Super League.
Stapleton, who currently holds the title of Irish U19 player of the year, has already made her senior international debut while impressing in the League of Ireland. In her own words, she expressed her delight about joining the club, calling it a massive honor and a lifelong dream to sign with a professional team. She eagerly awaits the opportunity to begin this new chapter in her career.
“I’m delighted to join. It’s a massive honour for me to sign for this xlub. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid to sign for a professional team and I can’t wait to get going,” she told West Ham’s website.
She also spoke about her ambition to play in the prestigious WSL, which she considers one of the biggest and best leagues in the world. Excited about the prospect of training with a great group of girls at West Ham, Stapleton is looking forward to preparing for the upcoming season.
“Every player growing up now wants to play in the WSL, it’s one of the biggest and best leagues in the world. There seems to be a great bunch of girls here at West Ham and I’m excited to get started with pre-season training ahead of the new season.”
General Manager Aidan Boxall acknowledged that the young recruit might need some time to settle into her new environment, but he is highly optimistic about her potential. The club is thrilled to have Jessie join their ranks and have been monitoring her development for a considerable period. Despite facing strong competition, West Ham emerged as the ideal destination for Stapleton to further enhance her talents and skills.
“We are delighted to welcome Jessie to east London. She is a promising defender that we have been watching for a long time and have beaten off some strong competition to secure her services. “We feel we have a fantastic talent in the building, and I’m delighted she has chosen West Ham as the place that’s best suited to continue her development," Boxall added.
