Durham Women have signed goalkeeper Cat Sheppard from Sporting Lisbon with whom she had played the last two years in the Portuguese top flight.
New York-born Sheppard was the 2022 America East Championship Most Outstanding Player, after which she joined Portuguese outfit Clube de Albergaria in 2023, featuring 24 times for the Campeonato Nacional Feminino side.
She impressed there too, and her performances saw Sporting Lisbon come calling last summer.
While with Sporting, she helped the side to the Portuguese Supercup and a second-place league finish – while also forming part of their squad as they faced Real Madrid in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Sheppard said of her move: “It’s been great, the team’s been really welcoming and the culture seems great.
“I understand the game well, I’m an over-communicator, I’m a gritty player and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep the ball out the back of the net.”
