Casey Murphy kickstarted her professional soccer journey in a rather unique fashion—something very few players, especially American-born, get to experience. After spending four years in NCAA Division I college soccer with Rutgers University’s Scarlet Knights, the Bridgewater Township, New Jersey native received an offer to play abroad, signing with French club Montpellier. European exposure, Champions League nights, and whatnot—Murphy had every reason to stay and embrace the highs and lows of the beautiful game at that level. Yet, just a couple of years later, she ended up returning to the U.S.

The biggest question on your mind would be—why, right? Well, it’s not like the 29-year-old wasn’t grateful for the opportunity. She was, for every bit of it. In fact, she carried more than just emphatic memories back home after leaving the European side; a hell lot of ball knowledge that would come in handy for any talented goalkeeper like her.

“One of the things was communication,” began Casey Murphy as she explained what she learned while playing abroad, during her recent interview with former USWNT midfielder Sam Mewis on The Women’s Game podcast. “I was so used to communicating but with a back line that was all foreign. I still communicated but they didn’t understand me.”

Unfortunately, little did the language barrier also affect her ability to comprehend her coach’s instruction. “Having a coach for the first time that I couldn’t collaborate with after every rep or game review—It was more like I had to really learn to coach myself,” revealed the 6 ft 1 goalie.

These factors tested Casey’s mental resilience as the former Montpellier star who later joined Seattle Reign in 2019 used to keep herself locked in, barely relying on the coach for a even tiny bit of pep talk, say, during water breaks, halftime, or even post-game. “It was an opportunity for me to really work through scenarios, think about things, and be curious about things on my own within my position,” admitted Murphy.

Of course, being compelled to figure things out on her own doesn’t mean she lacked support at Montpellier. It’s just that the experience helped the goalie grow in her own way. And that was exactly the sign she took to make her return to the United States.

Despite homecoming, Casey Murphy faced a hilarious language barrier incident!

“After two years, I was definitely ready to get back to the US and speak in English,” Casey Murphy jokingly remarked, expressing her gratitude for being able to sign for Seattle Reign. However, there also, she coincidentally ended up facing a major language barrier with her goalkeeper coach. “It’s funny I came back to the US and played in Seattle and my goalkeeper coach didn’t speak English,” recalled Murphy.

Yet, despite this, she still adored the coach, praising him for further elevating her goalkeeping skills. From watching YouTube videos of the best goalkeeper saves of all time to conducting harsh training drills, Casey admitted she learned a lot from him. More importantly, it was the joy of being able to learn at her homeland’s soil.

That fortunately saw her make an impression in front of national team coaches and further get her way in the NWSL. Then again, her stint with Seattle again didn’t last more than a couple of years. The veteran goalkeeper left for North Carolina Courage in 2021, where even today she continues to impress everyone.

In fact, so much so that she was literally able to make her way into the US Women’s National Team after also having represented the U20 and U23 squads. Though the latter wasn’t able to earn a place in Vlatko Andonovski’s 2023 World Cup squad, she did get a call from Emma Hayes for the Paris Olympics 2024, only as an unused substitute as it was Alyssa Naeher who took the starring role.

Regardless, since her debut, Casey Murphy has made over 20 appearances. Who knows? Given how Naeher has hung up her boots, we may see her as a starter for the next World Cup. For now, it’s good that she came back to where she truly belongs!