Shanade Hopcroft
.jpg) Hopcroft for Crystal Palace in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shanade Shereen Hopcroft | ||
| Date of birth | 4 October 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Aylesbury, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Crystal Palace | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2011 | Chelsea | ||
| London Bees | |||
| Reading | |||
| Middlesex | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2018 | Daytona State College | 28 | (8) |
| 2019–2021 | Colorado Buffaloes | 36 | (9) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | London City Lionesses | 32 | (4) |
| 2023–2026 | Crystal Palace | 31 | (7) |
| 2026 | Birmingham City | 9 | (0) |
| 2026– | Crystal Palace | 4 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:57, 29 September 2026 (UTC) | |||
Shanade Shereen Hopcroft (born 4 October 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Crystal Palace. Born in England, she currently represents the Republic of Ireland national team. Hopcroft has previously played for London City Lionesses and Birmingham City, and played college soccer for Daytona State College and the Colorado Buffaloes.
Early life
[edit]Shanade Shereen Hopcroft was born on 4 October 1997 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.[1] Hopcroft attended Aylesbury Vale Academy.[2]
Youth career
[edit]At the age of five or six, Hopcroft played for a local football team called Samba. She joined the Chelsea academy at U10 level, after fellow Aylesbury-born footballer (and then-Chelsea striker) Ellen White's father put her forward for trials. Hopcroft departed Chelsea when she was 14.[2] She would also go on to play for London Bees, Reading and Middlesex at U17 level.[3]
College career
[edit]In 2017, Hopcroft moved to the United States where she played college soccer for Daytona State College and the Colorado Buffaloes.[3] During her college soccer career, Hopcroft suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and underwent surgery for the injury.[2]
Club career
[edit]London City Lionesses, 2022–23
[edit]On 31 January 2022, Hopcroft signed for Women's Championship club London City Lionesses.[4]
Crystal Palace, 2023–26
[edit]On 31 July 2023, Hopcrost signed for fellow Championship side Crystal Palace.[5] In her first season with the club, Palace won the Women's Championship, gaining promotion to the WSL for the first time in the club's history.[6] Hopcroft was voted the club's Player of the Year by her teammates.[7]
Hopcroft missed most of the 2024–25 season with an injury, playing just three times in the WSL before Palace were relegated.[8]
Hopcroft made 11 appearances in the first half of the 2025–26 season.[8]
Birmingham City, 2026
[edit]On 9 January 2026, Hopcroft signed for WSL2 side Birmingham City.[1] On 18 January 2026, she scored her first goal for the club in a 6–2 FA Cup win over Hull City.[9] Birmingham City won the WSL2 and were promoted to the WSL.[10]
Return to Crystal Palace, 2026–
[edit]On 3 September 2026, Hopcroft returned to Crystal Palace on a two-year deal. Palace, alongside former club Birmingham, had been promoted to the WSL for the 2026–27 season.[8][10]
International career
[edit]Hopcroft attended English trial camps at U12 and U15 level.[3]
On 29 September 2026, Hopcroft was called up to the Republic of Ireland national team for the first time for their World Cup play-offs against Kazakhstan.[11] Born in England, she is eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland through her grandmother, who was born in Tubbercurry, County Sligo.[12][13]
Personal life
[edit]In June 2026, Hopcroft married fellow professional footballer and New Zealand international, Grace Neville.[14]
Hopcroft has described Ronaldinho as her childhood football idol.[15]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 27 September 2026[16]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| London City Lionesses | 2021–22 | Women's Championship | 10 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 4 | ||
| Total | 32 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 4 | ||
| Crystal Palace | 2023–24 | Women's Championship | 21 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 6 |
| 2024–25 | WSL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2025–26 | WSL 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| Total | 31 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 40 | 7 | ||
| Birmingham City | 2025–26 | WSL 2 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Crystal Palace | 2026–27 | WSL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Career total | 76 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 92 | 12 | ||
- ↑ Includes Women's FA Cup
- ↑ Includes WSL Players Cup
Honours
[edit]Crystal Palace
Birmingham City
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Birmingham City Women are delighted to announce the signing of midfielder Shanade Hopcroft". Birmingham City F.C. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Dean, Sam (20 November 2019). "Meet Shanade Hopcroft the women's soccer star from Aylesbury taking America by storm". Bucks Herald. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Shanade Hopcroft - 2021 Soccer Roster". cubuffs.com. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "Shanade Hopcroft - second winter signing for the London City Lionesses". londoncitylionesses.com. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "Hopcroft joins Crystal Palace". extratime.com. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ 'No-one expected this' - Crystal Palace reach WSL, Emma Smith, BBC Sport, 28 April 2024
- ↑ "Shanade Hopcroft has been voted Women's Players' Player of the Season 23/24 by her Crystal Palace teammates". cpfc.co.uk. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Shanade Hopcroft returns to Crystal Palace". cpfc.co.uk. 3 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "Hull City vs Birmingham City: Women's FA Cup stats". bbc.com. 18 January 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Birmingham, Palace promoted to WSL as Charlton fall to play-off". bbc.com. 2 May 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "Shanade Hopcroft earns surprise call-up to Ireland squad for World Cup playoff". irishtimes.com. 29 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "Carla Ward gives surprise call-up to Palace midfielder Shanade Hopcroft for Kazakhstan games". rte.ie. 29 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "Women's World Cup: Republic of Ireland call up Crystal Palace's Shanade Hopcroft for play-off". BBC Sport. 29 September 2026. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
- ↑ Neville, Grace [@graceneville_12]; (16 June 2026). "'Whatever I do in this life, the greatest story I'll ever tell is the one about us' 14.06.26🤍" – via Instagram.
- ↑ "Getting to know... Shanade Hopcroft". London City Lionesses. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
- ↑ "Shanade Hopcroft Stats". soccerway.com. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
External links
[edit]- 1997 births
- Living people
- English expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- English women's footballers
- English people of Irish descent
- Republic of Ireland women's association footballers
- Republic of Ireland women's international footballers
- Daytona State College alumni
- Colorado Buffaloes women's soccer players
- London City Lionesses players
- Crystal Palace F.C. (Women) players
- Birmingham City W.F.C. players
- Women's Super League players
- Women's Super League 2 players
- 21st-century English sportswomen
- 21st-century Irish sportswomen
- Women's association football midfielders
- People from Aylesbury
- Footballers from Aylesbury
- Footballers from Buckinghamshire
- People from Buckinghamshire
- English LGBTQ sportspeople
- Irish LGBTQ sportspeople