Houston Dash forward Rachel Daly was named to Team Great Britain’s Football Squad under Head Coach Hege Riise ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the British Olympic Association announced this morning.
Daly is one of 15 players from the England Women’s National Team that will compete in Great Britain’s squad, alongside players from Ireland and Wales. This mark’s the Dash captain’s first-ever call up to an Olympic squad.
Daly has earned 38 caps for the Lionesses and scored four goals while splitting time at forward and outside back. She played a key role in England’s semifinal run at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, seeing action in five of their seven matches and starting twice, including in the semifinal against the United States. Most recently, Daly scored her fourth goal for the Lionesses in a friendly vs. Northern Ireland on February 23.
Houston’s captain most recently became the club’s leading scorer, breaking former Dash forward Kealia Watt’s record of 28 goals for the Dash. This season, Daly has netted two goals in three games for Houston with 31 career goals since joining Houston in 2016. The Harrogate, England native was a crucial piece of the Dash’s first league title in club history, scoring three goals and providing three assists to earn NWSL Challenge Cup MVP and Golden Boot honors in 2020. Of Houston’s eight goals scored in the tournament, Daly played a role in five, including the assist to midfielder Shea Groom for the insurance goal in the final against the Chicago Red Stars. The assist clinched the Golden Boot for Daly, breaking a tie with Groom and North Carolina Courage forward Lynn Williams, who each scored three goals and had one assist.
The forward concluded her loan to West Ham United FC in the FA Women’s Super League on January 11 before re-joining the Dash ahead of the 2021 NWSL Season. Daly, who made her FA WSL debut coming on as a substitute against Tottenham on Sept. 6, scored five goals and tallied four assists in 12 appearances with West Ham. After capping her successful summer run with Houston as the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup MVP, Daly scored her first WSL goal on Oct. 7, 2020 when West Ham drew Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 before winning the ensuing penalty shootout.
