Crowded midfield: Kansas City Current bring back captain Desiree Scott for another year

Desiree Scott has joked about retirement enough that her wait to sign a new deal stirred some concern.

But speculation about her potential retirement can be put to rest for at least another year, as the veteran midfielder on Tuesday signed a one-year contract to remain with the Current.

“Desi is an extremely important part of this club, and we are so happy to have her return for the 2023 season,” Current general manager Camille Levin Ashton said in a news release. “Her leadership and infectious positivity lift up this team up, both on the field and off.”

Scott began her professional career in KC, taking charge of the midfield for FC Kansas City in 2013 before progressing to play for Notts County in England.

She returned to Kansas City in 2016, remaining with FCKC through a move to and from Salt Lake City, and has been with the Current since the organization’s inception two years ago.

“I am extremely excited to be back in Kansas City and for another opportunity to bring a championship home,” Scott said in a statement. “We now have playoff and championship experience but even more importantly, the belief that we belong on those big stages.

“I know as a group we learned a lot last season and the motivation is definitely there to make this 2023 season another one to remember.”

Scott won the inaugural Ally Award last season, a peer-voted honor that recognizes an athlete who most embodies the idea of “teammate.”

Scott has represented her native Canada since she was 16, amassing 186 caps and playing in three World Cups, with a potential fourth on the horizon this summer. She won medals at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympics, including gold in 2020.

With 124 total matches played in the NWSL, she surpassed the 10,000-minute mark in August of last season. Her leadership and experience in the locker room were vital to the Current’s run to the league championship game last fall.

Her re-signing this week only deepens an already crowded midfield. The club has added Vanessa Di Bernardo and Morgan Gautraut while retaining Lo LaBonta and now Scott. And Sam Mewis, who spent most of last year recovering from a knee injury, could be a factor this season, too.

The Current’s preseason begins in early February. They’ll play their first game the weekend of March 25 against a TBD opponent. The National Women’s Soccer League has yet to release its 2023 schedule.

This story was originally published January 24, 2023 at 12:10 PM.