McLeod grateful for opportunity to extend career in NSL

Three years after she last represented the Canadian national team, Erin McLeod is returning to play on home soil.

The goalkeeper announced on Tuesday that she will be joining Halifax Tides FC in the Northern Super League, the new domestic professional women’s soccer league set to kick off next April.

McLeod, 41, is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers in Canadian soccer history. She made 119 appearances for the national team and represented her country at four World Cups and three Olympic Games.

She was the starting keeper in London 2012, helping backstop her team to a historic bronze medal, and won gold as an alternate in the Tokyo Games in 2021. Her 47 clean sheets are the most all-time for Canada.

McLeod, who grew up in Calgary and Edmonton, last played for Canada on Oct. 26, 2021, in a friendly against New Zealand as part of the Celebration Tour following Canada’s Olympic triumph. She officially retired from international duty in early 2023, but has been playing professionally for the past two seasons in Iceland, where she lives with her wife, Icelandic international Gunny Jonsdottir, and their newborn son.

TSN spoke to McLeod about her decision to join the NSL, her recent experience as a player/coach with her Icelandic club, Stjarnan, and what she envisions for the future of the new Canadian league.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
 

TSN: How did this opportunity with Halifax arise?

McLeod: So, it's interesting. A couple years ago, I was doing a little bit of work in the EDIA [Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility] space in grassroots soccer and the Halifax City Soccer Club. So, that's kind of at the point where I started building connections, even though I was in Iceland and playing professionally over here.

And then I just continued playing and coaching, kind of being a player/coach. And then the Tides, they wanted to set up a discovery call. To be honest, I was doing a lot of my coaching licensing, and I wasn't totally sure if they wanted me as a player or as a coach. And they were like, ‘Yeah, we want you as a player.’

At that point, I was splitting time with the other keeper at this club, and then she went to university in the U.S., so I was playing full-time. Just even having the conversation with the Tides gave me just a shift in my motivation, because I really thought this was going to be my last season. And then kind of as the season progressed, I was playing really well and enjoying it a lot more from a from a mental health standpoint, and being less hard on myself, and just enjoying the game a lot more. And then I kind of thought, ‘Okay, I think I can do this.’

And so, when I was talking with Amit [Batra, Tides sporting director] about it, it just kind of seemed like a no-brainer at that point. I'm lucky to be friends with Diana Matheson. She's done some incredible work, and I know that this is going to be a team effort, really, to grow this league as much as possible now that it’s starting. And I just couldn't be more honoured, really, by the opportunity, and grateful, because I was ready to hang up the boots and I get to play another year, a sport I love so much, because of this opportunity.

TSN: You mentioned that you were really enjoying playing a lot more. What do you think allowed you to enjoy soccer on a new level?

McLeod: I co-founded the Mindful Project [with] my business partner, her name is Dr. Rachel Lindvall. We work with a lot of NCAA athletes around mindfulness and being present in sport. I've had a few people give me some gentle reminders to practise more of what I preach.

The second half of the season, really, is when my performance started picking up, and I really became aware of my doubt, which is just one of my habits on game day. And I think just looking to kind of accept the doubt, but also get to a place where I practise a little bit more self-compassion, and then also start that self-trust and belief, and really just going towards, ‘Well, why am I doubting myself?’ And looking at my history and the games that I've played and the experience that I have, and I think starting to give myself way more credit.

I think what's gotten me to a high level is kind of looking at the glass half-empty, to be honest, like, ‘Oh, I need to work on this. I need to work on this. I need to work on this.’ And my wife, to her credit, has told me so many times – maybe it's just about appreciating where you are and how far you've come, and all the hours and everything you've put in. And I really started buying in to that. And then I think just practising more self-compassion around making mistakes.

And so, for me, to really be more objective in my analysis and just really recognize when I'm getting caught in these negative loops, and just work on being in the moment and enjoying it, because I probably don’t have that many games left. And so, just to really try to enjoy every minute that I have.

TSN: Going back to Halifax, you mentioned your community ties there, and you also have family there as well. What would you say stands out for you about the Halifax community?

McLeod: I think one of the main reasons was, [during] my little stint as an EDIA consultant, how impressed I was with how welcoming everybody was to me, being relatively inexperienced in this space, being passionate about it. Just the different organizations – Canadian Women in Sport was one, Special Olympics. The [Halifax] Wanderers, with [EDIA coach] Marvin Okello. I was able to do a W-Inspire event, and again, impressed by the people there at UDFC [United Dartmouth Football Club].

One of the things that I think Tides has already been pretty clear about standing for is accessibility. And I think that is something in sport that we need to continue to push. Sport, if it is genuinely for everyone, then we have to really work on the equity side of things. How can we make it accessible to more and more people? And so, I think those were really big pieces. And then, of course, being close to family and being home is something, like any Canadian player, I'm sure right now is really excited about.

TSN: In your first answer, you mentioned that you were working towards coaching. How far along were you on that journey and what coaching licenses were you working towards?

McLeod: Right now, I have the national B coaching license with Canada Soccer Association, and I'm partway through the UEFA B, and I have my UEFA B goalkeeping license. I obviously hope to finish the B, and then probably continue on.

But I will say, the piece that I'm quite passionate about, and the dual role that I had here with Stjarnan this season was a player/coach. I was a culture coach. So, more working on building trust within a group, how to communicate effectively with one another. We went over a lot of dreams and goal setting, mindfulness and getting into the present moment and going towards limiting beliefs. For me, that's something that I found has really made an impact in my career.

TSN: Going back to the NSL – the rumblings of the league have been happening for many years, and obviously you know Diana very well. Did you ever envision yourself as a player in this league?

McLeod: Initially, not really, to be honest. I have said to D a number of times, ‘Let me know how I can help.’ I always had the intention of promoting, and I have been promoting, doing everything that I can on my end. But no, not necessarily, if I'm being quite honest about a player.

But it feels right, and again, I'm super grateful for the opportunity. To play for [Tides head coach] Lewis Page again – I played in the [FIFA Women’s] Under-19 tournament a million years ago, in 2002, and he was the assistant coach at the time. So, that's also a great opportunity. And just being someplace new means you get to be a part of creating a culture. I hope it's a great environment that's competitive, where we can push one another, but also give honest feedback and excited to be part of that too.

TSN: Being an older player in the league, there's kind of two ways you can look at it, going back to what you were saying with the glass half-empty, half-full mentality. There's the concern of the physicality and injuries and that aspect, or, as you said, there's an opportunity to build a culture, to really step into a leadership role and help younger players. How are you viewing this opportunity?

McLeod: It's a great question. I'm a competitor, and I'm always going to want to play. Abby Wambach, speaking of competitors, one of my favourite things that she's ever said is: ‘If you can't lead from the bench, don't expect to lead from the field.’ So, I think that being a leader is something that is – you can't just turn it on. You've got to work every day to create that environment. So, I want to play. I want to make a difference on the field. For me, it's a non-negotiable to make a difference off the field. But at the end of the day, it's going to be about helping the team in whatever way that I can be successful.

TSN: Looking bigger picture, Diana has talked about the platform of the NSL and building a brand. How much responsibility would you say do you feel to not only deliver on the pitch, but to help build that brand and build an audience for a new league?

McLeod: I wouldn't necessarily call it pressure. I would call it an opportunity, but maybe also a responsibility. Maybe because I'm a former national team player, I want us to sell out every game, and if I can help with that, I will. If that means going out into the community and meeting young people who aspire to play in this league and for the national team or whatever their dreams are, and even if none of their dreams are like that and it's just about connecting with good people – I want to do everything that I can.

I've been a part of a number of leagues. I was part of the WPS [Women’s Professional Soccer], for example, that folded. And so, it is going to be important, and maybe a little bit more weight on the players the first couple years than usual, to help build this league as much as possible.

I hope that we can have a shared responsibility kind of mentality for the young people in our country. What are we willing to do to inspire this young generation in sports so that more and more people feel they have accessibility to sport and more inclusivity in sport? I definitely want to make sure that it's not just something that we started. I want it to continue long after I retire and all that kind of stuff. Creating a league that's sustainable – that's going to be the next challenge.

TSN: Finally, Vanessa Gilles commented on Instagram that you should dye your hair ‘Tide Teal’. Any thoughts on that?

McLeod: Well, I have extremely dark hair and very thick hair, so the amount of work that would go into getting a turquoise or teal look would be a lot. But I'm not saying no. I will have a word with Vanessa, but I am not saying no to this suggestion.