West Ham United is delighted to announce the permanent signing of Canada international Shelina Zadorsky on a one-year contract.
The 31-year-old joins the Club on a free transfer following the expiration of her deal at Tottenham Hotspur, having played an important role for the Hammers throughout her six-month loan in east London last season, during which she made ten appearances.
Capped over 100 times by Canada, and part of the sides that won Olympic Gold and Bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 Games respectively, Zadorsky boasts plenty of international pedigree, having also featured twice for her country at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
Now, the London, Ontario-born player, who will once again wear the No14 shirt for the Irons, is looking forward to being reunited with her former Spurs manager Rehanne Skinner and showing her outstanding defensive qualities as a full-time member of the Claret and Blue Army.
“I’m delighted to be back at West Ham United on a permanent basis,” Zadorsky told West Ham TV. “I really enjoyed my time in east London last season, especially playing in front of such passionate fans who follow the team home and away. It’s like a big family here, and that’s something I have loved feeling a part of.
“Rehanne and I have built a great relationship over the years, and I think she knows how to get the best out of me. I always demand high standards of myself, and I really want to be that rock at the back for the team.
“This group has a lot of potential, and I want to do everything I can to help the team reach that potential this season.”
Manager Skinner expressed her delight at securing the signature of the experienced defender and believes Zadorsky’s leadership skills will be key for West Ham United in the upcoming Barclays Women’s Super League campaign.
“I am delighted to extend Shelina’s time at West Ham, following a very successful loan spell during the second half of last season,” she said.
“Shelina has a wealth of experience across the domestic and international game, having made over 100 appearances for Canada and represented her country at a third Olympic Games in Paris this summer, which is a remarkable feat for any player.
“Shelina has a fantastic attitude and a desire to win that carries through the team. She is versatile across the left-hand side of the backline and her technical ability on the ball is a real strength to her game. I have no doubt Shelina will continue to help us evolve our style of play and we all look forward to having her back in the group as a permanent Hammer.”
A strong, commanding defender, Zadorsky played collegiate football for the Michigan Wolverines in the United States while completing a degree in psychology, before returning north of the border to join Ottawa Fury and captaining the team to a second-place finish in the USL W-League Central Conference final, before going one better and winning the Central Conference title in 2014.
She moved to Australian side Perth Glory in August 2014, where she played in every match of the W-League season. The Glory Girls topped the standings and appeared in the Grand Final, narrowly losing out to Canberra United.
Having spent a season with Vittsjö GIK in the Swedish top-flight in 2015, Zadorsky returned to North America to sign for Washington Spirit for the 2016 campaign, where she played alongside fellow future Hammer, Kristie Mewis. She was named captain in her second season and made 21 appearances.
In January 2018, Zadorsky switched to Orlando Pride, before joining Tottenham Hotspur in August 2020, initially on loan. After making that move permanent in January 2021, she was appointed captain ahead of the 2021/22 season, helping Rehanne Skinner and her team to fifth place in the WSL – their highest finish to date – and turning out 56 times for Spurs in total.
Zadorsky is the women’s fifth arrival this summer, following the signings of Poland international goalkeeper Kinga Szemik, Germany U19 forward Shekiera Martinez, Chile international Camila Sáez and France U23 international Inès Belloumou.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to welcome Shelina back to east London and wish her every success in Claret and Blue.
