Coffee & Valkyries: Say Hello to Karen Bardsley

OL Reign’s roster build continued last month with the club announcing the arrival of England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley on loan from Manchester City through June. The loan spell will see her more than likely to get some appearances during the NWSL Challenge Cup and first half of the regular season. Bardsley’s long road to recovery from a hamstring injury sustained at the 2019 FIFA World Cup was only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why she sees this time at OL Reign as an opportunity to return to full form, and to be a part of something big the club is building towards, similar to to when she joined Manchester City seven a half years ago:

The ambition of [OL Reign] was something that really excited me. I remember feeling something quite similar when I first joined City seven and a half years ago. It was very much an ambitious organization with plans to make a big push and I feel something similar... They’re kind of rebuilding, hopefully there will be some future investment in training grounds and a future stadium. Ultimately it came down to Farid and the methodology he wants to instill in the club. Obviously with his previous success at Lyon, he knows his stuff. I think it’s going to take a bit of time to see the impact, but to be a part of it, even just a small part, is something really important to me; and to contribute where I can, on and off the pitch, is exciting to me from a more holistic perspective other than just football. I want to be challenged, whether it’s in goal, more sessions, or whatever it is. I just want to have the coaching staff push me, have the players push me, and just be a badass.

HOSTS

Susie Rantz (@SusieRants)

Jacob Cristobal (@jacobcristobal)

Steve Voght (@voght)

CREDITS

Album artwork: Amy Camber

Intro music: “A Brave Badger” by Soft and Furious

Outro music: “Toxic Music” by Soft and Furious