Why Delanie Sheehan might just be Gotham FC's Most Valuable Player
The midfielder joined NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2021 and has become the driving force behind the team's continued success in the National Women's Soccer League.
In the dying minutes of the first half of the 2023 NWSL quarterfinal match, the visiting Gotham FC remained scoreless against the North Carolina Courage — but that was all about to change.
Midfielder Delanie Sheehan received the ball in open space on the right side of the box, and with her second touch on the ball, nudged it past two defenders and the goalkeeper, notching her first-ever professional goal and securing a crucial win for the eventual 2023 NWSL Champions.
“Going that long into the season without scoring, there’s always pressure or a [mental] wall that comes with that,” Sheehan said. “I just wanted to get that first one to open the gates. I felt pressure a little bit, but the staff and my teammates did a good job of motivating me and reminding me that I bring so many other things to the game. It’s not my main role to score, but once I did score, it felt amazing. It was what I needed.”
Sheehan, who has scored four times across all competitions in 2024, provides so much more than just goals and assists. The attacking-minded midfielder thrives playing possession-style football. She sees herself as Gotham’s “connector,” controlling the flow of the game — a role she is happy to play.
“I am grateful to get a lot of opportunities from [head coach] Juan Carlos Amorós — he clearly sees something in me that fits our style, and I’ve learned so much from him and the staff who are always willing to teach me,” Sheehan said. “But when Juan first came in, it wasn’t as easy as he just liked me. I had to learn his style and how he wanted me to play.”
Sheehan’s role on the team has been critical in helping Gotham clinch a playoff berth. However, the journey to this role was not so straight-forward for the California native. Through quiet work and perseverance, she has made a name for herself in the NWSL and proven why she may just be Gotham’s most valuable player.
Earning her spot
On the night of her 21st birthday, Sheehan turned pro. The UCLA graduate was selected 33rd overall in the 2021 NWSL College Draft by Gotham FC.
“I didn’t really know what to expect because you’re kind of in the dark if you’re not a first round pick, you’re just kind of hoping that your name gets called,” Sheehan recalled. “I was surprised because I hadn’t spoken to Gotham at all. When they called me right before they picked me, I was just speechless and super emotional. I was just grateful for the opportunity.”
From there, it was a battle to earn a contract with the 2021 team, a squad that just squeaked into the playoffs for the second time since 2013. Sheehan initially only managed a national team replacement deal with the club, but eventually earned a full contract before going on loan to Paris FC.
“That experience [with Paris] was really important to for me, especially because now coaches [in the NWSL] play a more possession and European style,” Delanie said. “Getting there and getting a taste of what that football looked like and getting to learn that style, which is more tactical, made me a better all around player, and I’m translating that to the team now.”
Although Sheehan’s loan experience was positive, transitioning back to the NWSL proved difficult. In 2022, Sheehan rarely found herself rostered for games. The pace of the game in Europe was slower than what was expected in the transition-heavy NWSL, and she had to work hard to earn her minutes.
“For about two years, Delanie barely got any minutes,” recalled Sabrina Flores, Sheehan’s former Gotham teammate. “In fact, she wasn’t even making rosters for much of that time. Delanie is a textbook example of what it means to control the controllables. While she certainly deserved more than she was given during those years, she never made excuses. Every single day she got up and grinded. Every single day she trained extra and ran extra. She stayed prepared for the moment that she was given a chance because she knew what type of impact she could make.”
An engine in the midfield
After a disastrous last-place finish for Gotham in 2022, general manager Yael Averbuch West turned it all around, bringing in Amorós and rebuilding the roster — moves which led to the team’s 2023 NWSL Championship. By 2024, the club secured its place as a “super-team,” packed with stars like Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn.
“Delanie is a player that really represents what we’ve done here over the last couple of years, [such as doing the] hard work even when no one is watching,” said Amorós. “She didn’t have the easiest of starts last season, but she kept working, gave 200% until her opportunity arrived, and when it did, she grabbed it with two hands. She’s grown as a human being, a player, and is helping this club to be what it is. She is someone we are especially proud of even if she doesn’t receive the praise and recognition with her performances, which are at an extremely high level.”
Even on a stacked roster, Sheehan has become a mainstay for Gotham. The 25-year-old has appeared in all 22 regular season games, starting in all but one. Her calmness and steadiness on the ball, ability to shake off defenders, and team-first attitude has made her the catalyst for the team’s 2023 turnaround and continued 2024 success.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be on the field with these girls, and it’s the environment I crave,” Sheehan said. “Every day is a challenge. Yes, I’ve started in most games, but my spot is not safe. Every single day we all have to go out there and fight for our spots, everywhere on the field. What Gotham has created here has been pretty special.”
In addition to a competitive training environment, Amorós has given a clear style to Gotham, with a fluid formation allowing players to press high, be creative on the ball, and grow both individually and collectively. Sheehan, who describes Gotham’s play as a “free flowing style,” gets to tap into her her own experience and creativity, which includes time playing outside back in college. She often finds herself rotating out wide during gameplay, but is ready to take on whatever role is needed of her in any given moment even if it doesn’t come with the glory.
“I’ve seen Delanie go from someone who wasn’t consistently dressing to someone starting and playing 90 every game and what makes her special is that no matter which of those situations she’s put in, you get the same Delanie,” said Nicole Baxter, Sheehan’s former Gotham teammate. “Because she is so consistent and steady in the way she plays, she kind of slides under peoples radars. If you actually watch her closely and you pay attention to all of the details that matter like her positioning, her movements, the pace of her passes, her decision of when to play safe or when to play risky, her ability to dribble in tight spaces — she’s really talented and she keeps this Gotham midfield calm and connected.”
A quiet leader on and off the field
As Flores put it, Sheehan’s technical and tactical stats prove her worth and impact on the field, but her contributions to Gotham go well beyond that. Her ability to dribble the ball and pick out key passes has been vital to Gotham’s attack and possession style play, but it is Sheehan’s resilience, work rate, and thirst for growth that make her a leader by example and a positive impact to her teammates.
With the season’s end quickly approaching, Sheehan will become a free agent — although she does have a mutual option on her contract with Gotham. According to Baxter, teams should be clamoring for Sheehan’s attention for both her contributions to the game and to the locker room.
“She’s so funny, she’s witty, she’s loyal, she’s insanely wise for a 25 year old,” said Baxter. “Delanie deserves so much more recognition for who she is as a footballer and a person, and to be honest, I think teams should be absolutely battling for her attention as she approaches free agency.”
For now, Sheehan is fully focused on her time with Gotham, making a deep playoff run, and hopefully securing back-to-back championships, especially for the fans. All the while, she is continuing to push herself to get better each and every day.
“I find my groove and flow in possession, but I think I’m also evolving and can play a little bit quicker, especially if I’m playing with our crazy fast forwards,” Sheehan said. “I’m always working on adding more to my game.”
Jenna - any idea why Gotham does so little to engage with the fanbase on a week to week basis?
the fans have zero idea what is going on with the club in terms of integrating new players or week to week *anything* because the club do not make pre & post match interviews public for their fans to consume like nearly every other NWSL team does. why don't they at least do that? shouldn't that be the bare minimum fans expect from their club?
it blows my mind how little the club do to try to serve fans outside of the stadium and it seems flat out negligent from a club in that market to be doing so little to engage with fans of their club. i wish i could ask them directly but they don't respond to general emails critiquing their lack of visibility beyond game day activities at the stadium lol. just seems so incongruous with how they brand themselves and the norm of professional soccer teams and how they are supposed to operate.