'I felt that pull': Canada's Shelina Zadorsky comes home, joins AFC Toronto

Shelina Zadorsky is coming home.

The 33-year old central defender, who had been playing with West Ham of the Women's Super League in the U.K., has signed with AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League, the team announced on Wednesday.

Zadorsky says she felt an alignment with the club and saw the potential to “create really, really meaningful relationships” while using her experience as a leader in that environment.

The native of London, Ont., has spent her entire career (and half her life) outside of Canada. Her first appearance with the senior women’s national team came in 2013 after being part of the program's youth ranks.

“I felt that pull,” Zadorsky said. “Seeing Project Eight into the Northern Super League, and being really inspired by creating football culture and growing football in Canada, and it just felt like the right time to help grow that, and a really good opportunity to work and live in Toronto again."

She spent her college days playing at the University of Michigan and then played with the USL W-League before moving to Australia's A-League Women (formerly known, also, as the W-League).

Zadorsky moved to the top division in Sweden and then to the U.S. with the NWSL. She was on loan to the Tottenham Hotspur in England's Women’s Super League in 2020 and then to West Ham United F.C.

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After battling serious health issues in 2022, she was named to the 2023 Women’s World Cup squad and the 2024 Paris Olympic team. She suffered an ankle injury in December 2025 but has made a full recovery.

Despite an offer to extend her contract with West Ham, she chose to come home to play professionally in the NSL.

“I've loved [being able to play overseas], and I wouldn't change