Paige Monaghan is not your typical team captain. She doesn’t play at the senior international level. She’s never won a National Women’s Soccer League championship. Monaghan doesn’t see this as a disadvantage. In fact, it’s part of what makes her uniquely ready for this moment with the Utah Royals’ second go in the NWSL.
“I’m a different type of captain,” Monaghan told The Equalizer. “Often you see captains that are national team players who have played in a World Cup or on an Olympic team and have incredible accolades, whereas for me, I just really grew up in this league.”
Much like Monaghan herself, you could say the Utah Royals is a team flying under the radar. Re-joining the NWSL after initially shutting down in 2020, the team’s reentry to the league was somewhat overshadowed by expansion-side Bay FC’s heavily-anticipated arrival. Monaghan and her teammates aren’t worried, though. They know they can keep up.
Led by former player and first-time NWSL coach Amy Rodriguez, this young Royals squad – with an average age of 24 – is out to prove that they’re right where they belong.
