Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps has said it is “special” to see her USWNT teammates Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger make the move over to play in Europe before facing her compatriots in the Champions League on Saturday.
Heaps will come up against her two United States teammates on Saturday for the first time in continental football as Arsenal host Lyon in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal.
Heaps admitted it is “exciting” that U.S. players are making the move to play in Europe after she joined Lyon in 2022 and believes is it the challenge that European football brings that enticed them over to England.
“[It’s] so exciting and also very special for me. These moments don’t happen a lot,” she told a news conference on Tuesday. “I think this past camp I was giving Foxy [Emily Fox] as much crap as I possibly could and trying to just chip at her a little bit.”
Fox moved to Arsenal in January 2024, having spent her career in North America with Racing Louisville and North Carolina Courage. Nighswonger followed her compatriot to north London in January 2025, signing from NJ/NY Gotham.
“It’s really cool to see her [Fox] thriving in that environment and a team that, again, like I said before, I love the way Arsenal play.
“I really respect the team in general and to see her go and make that big move and play well and be a very impactful player for the team as well. I think that’s really special for me to see as a captain. I want all my players to be doing well. So just not this weekend, I hope.”
Chelsea’s Catarina Macario — who used to play with Heaps at Lyon from 2021-2023 — and Mia Fishel also made the move to England in the summer of 2023. Most recently, U.S. defender Naomi Girma became the first $1 million signing, joining Chelsea in January 2025.
Heaps said she believes the challenge of European football and the attraction of the Champions League has caused the influx of U.S. players moving across the pond.
“A lot of things [are enticing], but I think in general you have two very, very good leagues, but I think you play a lot of time in the NWSL like I did and I wanted a different challenge. It wasn’t anything against the NWSL, but I wanted to come play in Champions League again.
“I wanted to play for a big club like this. I think I just needed a different kind of challenge and maybe that’s also what these players felt. I think speaking with Nay [Girma], speaking with Jenna, speaking with Foxy, that’s what they needed at the time.
“I think also the salary cap, there’s a salary cap in the NWSL and I think that’s an ongoing issue there that hopefully can be changed or increased, but I think it’s a factor for the NWSL and for players coming overseas.”
Despite playing together for Emma Hayes’ side since Fox debuted in 2018, Heaps admitted she will not be speaking to either of her opponents in the build-up to the decisive games.
“I don’t know if I’ll be speaking with her, but maybe just a little nod when we get into the tunnel or see her on the field,” she said.
Heaps won the Champions League with Lyon in 2022 and was a part of the squad that was beaten by Barcelona last year’s final in Bilbao.
While the experience of playing has greatly advanced Heaps and her teammates, it is the unpredictability of high-stakes Champions League knockout games that excites the American midfielder.
“I think that that [winning and losing finals] gives you a bit of a extra confidence, but more so just you go into these games and you know what they’re about, you could think it’s going to go one way and it goes the other, and you have to make adjustments mid game,” she said.
“It’s almost like a tournament. You go into a World Cup, an Olympics, it’s not just like a club game or a friendly game.
“They all are played differently so I think that’s the coolest thing about tournaments like this, big tournaments and high state games, is you might be expecting something and you get something completely different and that’s when you see the best teams come out and they’re able to adjust and able to play and come out of it on top.
“That’s why it was the greatest feeling in the world to win it and also the worst feeling in the world to lose it.”
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