Adelaide United star Erin Healy tells aleagues.com.au how close she came to quitting football, and how a brilliant first season in the Ninja A-League has inspired hope of an unexpected international call-up.
Less than two years ago, Erin Healy was a college graduate considering walking away from football altogether.
That was, however, until a one-season stint in Portugal changed everything for the American forward.
“When I think about it, it’s funny to look at where I’m at now,” Healy told aleagues.com.au.
“When I went to Europe I was thinking it could be for a year, maybe two maximum. Now I’m sitting here, and I don’t see an end time. I could genuinely keep playing for as long as I can.
“My college self would just be laughing, saying there’s no way that it’s what I’m actually doing now. But I’m so glad I decided to go for it and not hang up the boots.”
Now, Healy is a rising star of the Ninja A-League with ambitions of becoming an international – not for the United States, but for the Republic of Ireland – an opportunity that only recently appeared on the 23-year-old’s radar since becoming an Irish citizen in September.
Suddenly, the skillful forward who values fun in football above all else looks destined for a long career in the world game, with her decision to put an accounting career on hold to chase her footballing dreams validated by a brilliant first season at Adelaide United.
“After college, I really didn’t know if I wanted to play professionally,” Healy said. “I think I was ready to be done with soccer. But then I started thinking that it was my chance to go see the world, so I think I should give it a chance, at least a year.
“At the time I was thinking I’d start a job. I had an accounting job lined up, and I didn’t have too much of a plan.
“I did an internship a year before with that company and I really enjoyed the corporate life, so I thought maybe that was for me. I’m grateful I didn’t say yes to that yet – it’s still out there.
“So many people told me: you can work for the rest of your life. You don’t have to start right after college, it’s okay to go explore and play soccer for a couple of years. If you’re even thinking about it in the slightest way, you should take the opportunity.
“I wanted to go anywhere in Europe, I didn’t have a specific location I was interested in, I was open to it all. A Portuguese team (Club de Albergaria) reached out and I remember just thinking: I’ll go for the experience, I’ll get to travel. In the US you can do a semester abroad, but when I was playing in college, they didn’t allow athletes to do that.
“So I thought of it as my chance to study abroad without the studying and play soccer. That was my thought process; it wasn’t soccer-focused too much, it was just to explore the world.
Healy left home in San Diego in the pursuit of new experiences abroad, and that’s exactly what she found in the town of Albergaria-a-Velha in the Aveiro District of Portugal, living with four other international recruits playing for Club de Albergaria.
“We had a really interesting living experience in Portugal,” Healy said
“It was a very, very small Portuguese house, as traditional as you can get. We had a kitchen and our bedrooms. It was so different from this; here in Adelaide it’s much better. It was a cool experience and something I’m glad I went through, but I’m really happy to have this type of living environment.
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“In Adelaide, I live with two other players – Tiana Karambasis and Lucia Leon. It was a best-case scenario when it comes to living with players. You never know what you’re going to get because the club throws you in together, and you just hope for the best.
“I’ve been so incredibly lucky. I have two roommates and we get along so well. It’s been almost like living with your best friends, so I can’t complain with that. We’re all living away from home so we can all relate to certain things. If anyone needs anything, we are there for each other. If family is in town, and they kind of act as our family too – and vice versa. It’s been amazing.”
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The more Healy speaks about life in Adelaide, the more you hear it: a clear priority for the environment away from football to feel right, in order for her on-field performances to follow.
From sunny San Diego, to Portugal and onto South Australia, Healy has now found herself in a city that provides many of the things she appreciates most when back home in the US: beaches, warm weather, and teammates who have become like family.
Fifteen games into her Ninja A-League career, Healy’s form for the Reds has been electric. Five goals and two assists only tell half the story; it’s her ball-carrying ability, intricate footwork and skilful dribbling that have helped Healy stand out from the pack as somewhat of a footballing unicorn in the Ninja A-League.
Only Melbourne City’s Lourdes Bosch has completed more successful take-ons, total take ons, and dribbles than Healy in the Ninja A-League this season.
Healy refers to it as magic; an emphasis on skills and trickery instilled in her by junior coach Gabe Arrendando at the age of eight, while playing for Crusaders Soccer Club in San Diego.
“When I’m thinking back, I kept playing the sport because I had fun, and I was playing with my friends,” Healy said.
“That really started at the very beginning. Our first coach, his name was Gabe. He instilled in us at such a young age that we were out there having fun. He always called it magic. All the skills with the ball, the stepovers, Maradona spins, for all of those moves, we would get a prize.
Healy’s ascension from Ninja A-League newcomer to a breakout performer pivotal to Adelaide’s push from last season’s wooden spoon finish into Premiership contention has coincided with an unexpected journey to becoming an Irish citizen.
Eligible for citizenship due to her grandfather who was born in Ireland, Healy has held dual US/Irish citizenship for six months. Suddenly the possibility of representing the nation has become a genuine goal, and one of two short-term objectives along with the pursuit of silverware with the Reds.
“Back in college, my coach was always asking players if they had another nationality and if they did, get your citizenship so you have that chance to play for the country. He asked me, and I said: ‘I think so, I’m not exactly sure!’ I just didn’t know how it works. I didn’t know how far back in your family it could go.
“My grandpa grew up in Ireland and came to the US. So my mum is an Irish citizen, which allowed me to be as well. Right around when I graduated we decided to start the process.
“I just got my citizenship back in September, and I started thinking how it would be really cool to get an opportunity to play for their national team. So I’ve been talking with my agent and seeing if that’s a realistic goal, and using this season to help me get on their radar.
Healy and Adelaide United are next in action in the Ninja A-League at home this weekend, as they host Central Coast Mariners at Coopers Stadium on Saturday night.
