COURTESY MARTHA THOMAS

Former Charlotte 49ers star Martha Thomas made her debut for Scotland's national team March 4 with a brace in a 3-0 win against Ukraine.

March looked bright for Martha Thomas. Then COVID-19 put soccer on ice.

The Charlotte 49ers alumna and all-time leading goal scorer made her debut for Scotland’s national team March 4 with two goals in their 3-0 victory over Ukraine in the Pinatar Cup, which they claimed by going undefeated in the tournament.

Thomas plays professionally for West Ham United in the Football Association Women’s Super League, which was formed in 2010 as the first division English soccer. In 2017, playing professionally hung in the balance when she tore her ACL in the Conference USA tournament final as a senior. Thomas led the 49ers with 13 goals and seven assists, including game winners to send them to the tournament final, which ended 3-1 on penalties against North Texas. Arguably the best player in program history, Thomas did not know if her time had just come to an end in the 44^th minute.

“This was a really, really hard time for me,” Thomas said in an email interview. “I was absolutely devastated and it took a bit of time for me to wrap my head around why it happened to me. Especially why it happened at the time it did, right before the NWSL draft, when I always dreamed of being drafted into the league. I didn't know what was going to be next for me at that time as I never imagined it would have happened to me. In a way it seemed like the end of the world.”

Said Charlotte 49ers coach John Cullen: “When a player gets injured, it’s a heartbreaking moment, but I think you really find out the character of an individual player when they have to go through some adversity.”

Recovering from an ACL injury is not uncommon, but how it alters a player’s game varies. Thomas positioned herself for a comeback.

“It felt that so many doors were going to close for me, as I was in contact with the USA U23 manager and Scotland’s manager before it happened,” she said. “After a few weeks I then was having discussions with my physio and doctor about surgery and the recovery time. This was a big turning point for me as I knew in that moment that I wanted the best surgeon and rehab I could get, because I wanted to get back out on the pitch and make my dream of playing professional football a reality. From that moment on I kept my head down and worked and worked and worked to ensure I could one day make that dream come true. It was extremely tough and I learned a lot about myself throughout the process. I had to be patient and work extremely hard to come back stronger.”

Said Cullen: “There was never any doubt that Martha was going to put as much work into her rehab and recovery as she did into becoming a top, top player.”

Thomas signed with West Ham in July after spending a season in Le Havre, France in the country’s second division with Havre Athletic Club. Her eyes were fixed on cracking England’s first division.

“I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy task as I’d only played half a season in France after coming off an ACL injury,” Thomas said. “I had a connection to an agent and pursued him. Once I made clips from playing for HAC and my four years at Charlotte I sent them across, and he began putting my name out there to coaches in the WSL in England. I think I was a bit lucky in timing as West Ham’s current striker had just left the club. The West Ham manager Matt Beard said he was impressed with the clips and wanted to get ahold of me. It was an absolute no brainer for me as he is a fantastic manager with a great reputation in both England and America. I was extremely excited to get started at West Ham as soon as my agent mentioned the possibility.”

Returning to England was a homecoming of sorts. Thomas was born in Dorset, England, and by the time she moved to the United States at 6 years old, the game already had her. Her father, Thomas, shared his love for the game, raising her and her brothers in a Watford-loving household. However, she would eventually fall in love with Liverpool, due to former captain Steven Gerrard. Ironically, West Ham’s last match was against Liverpool, which they won 4-2, including two goals from Thomas. Soccer is the religion of choice in England, and players are varying deities.

“Football in England is the center of attention,” Thomas said. “It’s the sport played in the streets by kids and is on everyone’s TV on the weekend. In the U.S., I would argue it’s a secondary sport behind American football, baseball and basketball. The game as a whole in England is more technical and tactical with lots of influence from European players. In the U.S., football is much more athletic as girls are stronger, faster and fitter. Football on the men’s side is very behind in America, but you are seeing a lot more kids playing it growing up. It’s just going to take time to catch up to England and other European countries.”

West Ham sits eighth with 16 points, and Thomas has scored five goals. Yet with league duty comes international ambition. Thomas spent time with the United States Women’s National Team’s U23 squad before making her debut for Scotland. In the end, Scotland was the right fit for her.

“In a way it felt like a long time coming as I’d been in contact for years with [Scotland manager] Shelley Kerr,” Thomas said of her debut. “Funnily enough, Old Dominion’s coach Angie Hind put my name on the radar to Shelley back in my Charlotte days, which I will forever be grateful for. But I never imagined my debut would have panned out that way. I’m not sure I still believe it – it still feels a bit surreal. It was especially important to have my mum, dad and gran in the crowd cheering me on. Apparently, my mum was jumping up and down and both her and my dad had tears of joy rolling down their faces when my first goal hit the back of the net. For my parents to fly from the U.S. to Spain last minute to cheer me on means the world to me. Their support throughout my entire career has been immense, something I am so grateful for. It definitely helped me get to where I am today.”

Thomas had the opportunity to play for England as well based on being born there.

“After making my WSL debut and scoring against Arsenal, I was on Phil Neville’s radar a bit for England too,” she said. “Having the chance to play for three countries is obviously an amazing opportunity. However, Shelley was so keen on getting me in for a camp and once I flew out to Scotland for the training camp last year it just felt like the perfect fit for me. I got along with the girls so well and could see myself playing for Scotland. I then made the decision to commit myself to Scotland.”

The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France drew more attention to the women’s game. Companies have identified leagues like the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States as well as other leagues abroad as lucrative markets for sponsorships.

“Stadiums are selling out both in the U.S. and in Europe,” Thomas said. “Fans are becoming more involved, big companies are endorsing the game and more sponsorships are coming about. People are investing in it and it is growing both on the domestic level as well as the international. I don’t know that much about the NWSL, but I hope the league is growing just like the WSL is in England. This past year the WSL’s players are all full-time, which is an amazing jump. To be able to play football with full-time wages is a massive step for women’s football and to see so many fans enjoying the game is amazing. I feel so lucky to be a part of the growth of the women’s game and I hope it continues to grow both here in England as well as in the U.S. The massive gap between men and women’s football is frustrating but hopefully with time this gap will get smaller and smaller.”

Off the pitch, Thomas is putting her degree in exercise science from UNC Charlotte to use by taking personal trainer courses to extend her field of study.

Sign up for the Queen City Football Chronicle newsletter.

Comments