Tobin Heath leaves Arsenal Women: Is NWSL next for USWNT star?

Kyle Bonn

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Tobin Heath leaves Arsenal Women: Is NWSL next for USWNT star? image

Arsenal announced in late April that Tobin Heath has been released from her contract by mutual consent.

The American had injured her hamstring a week earlier, which ruled her out for the rest of the season, and her contract with the club was set to expire at the end of the campaign.

Joining the club in September, the USWNT veteran departs the London club with just 18 appearances and three goals. Now 33 years old, Heath will ponder her next move, having played in England, France and the U.S. throughout her club career.

"Although I'm disappointed that my time at Arsenal has come to an early end, I have loved every minute of my time here," Tobin told the club's official website.

"I would like to thank everyone at the club who has made me feel so welcome. Arsenal is a special club and this is a special group of players. I have no doubt that they are bound for success in the near future and I'll be supporting the team with the rest of the Arsenal family from now on."

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How did Tobin Heath do at Arsenal?

Heath, who is a self-proclaimed lifelong Arsenal fan, joined the Gunners in September after a stint at Manchester United, but her time at the club did not go as planned.

While the club is in a battle for the Women's Super League title, sitting a point behind leaders Chelsea with three matches remaining, Heath has been unavailable for nearly half the campaign because of a collection of nagging muscle injuries. Throughout the season, Heath missed 15 matches because of injury and is set to miss the final three of the league season after her departure.

However, in such a tight title race, one of Heath's goals could prove vital. Deep in stoppage time against fellow title challengers Man City, Heath delivered a pinpoint strike from a tight angle that brought the Gunners level and secured a 1-1 draw.

"It's been a pleasure to work with Tobin this season," Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall said in the official team release. "She has made an important contribution both on and off the pitch, with her mentality and character setting a great example to the entire group.

"We wish Tobin well for the future and look forward to seeing what comes next for her."

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Where will Tobin Heath go next?

For now, the 33-year-old said she will be heading home to the United States to work with her personal medical team on recovering from the hamstring injury.

It was initially unclear what would come next, but with speculation that Heath will rejoin the domestic NWSL in the middle of the 2022 league season, there is some movement on that front.

New expansion team Racing Louisville owned Heath's rights after acquiring them from the Portland Thorns in the 2021 expansion draft. However, on the evening of June 14, Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer reported that Louisville had traded Heath's rights to OL Reign. The report states that Louisville returns $50,000 in allocation money along with 2nd-round and 4th-round draft picks.

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.