Bethany England may be the signing that defines Crystal Palace’s ambition, but Shannon O’Brien could prove just as important to making their new attack work.
The 24-year-old forward has joined Palace from Leicester City after the club activated her release clause. She has signed a three-year contract and arrives with five seasons of Women’s Super League experience behind her.
O’Brien was also Leicester’s leading scorer last season, finding the net five times across 21 league appearances. Those numbers were produced in a team enduring a difficult campaign, giving Palace a player already accustomed to carrying attacking responsibility when opportunities are limited.
Transfer Snapshot
- Player: Shannon O’Brien
- Age: 24
- Position: Forward
- From: Leicester City
- To: Crystal Palace
- Contract: Three years
- Transfer status: Permanent transfer
- Fee: Undisclosed; Palace activated her release clause
- 2025/26 record: 21 WSL appearances and five goals
- Leicester record: 99 appearances according to Leicester; Palace list 97
- Leicester goals: 17 in all competitions
- International experience: Former England Under-23 international
WSL Experience Without a Short-Term Profile
Palace need players capable of helping immediately upon their return to the WSL, but that does not mean every signing must be approaching the later stages of her career.
Shannon O’Brien is only 24, yet has already spent five consecutive seasons in the top flight. Since joining Leicester from Coventry United in January 2021, she has made close to 100 appearances and scored 17 goals across all competitions.
That experience should reduce the uncertainty surrounding her adaptation. Palace know she can operate at WSL level, while a three-year agreement gives her time to develop beyond the immediate objective of establishing the club in the division.
Jo Potter is gaining a player with a substantial senior background whose best years could still lie ahead.
A Forward Who Has Already Lived Through Promotion
O’Brien’s Leicester career began with a promotion campaign. She made nine appearances after arriving midway through the 2020/21 season, helping the Foxes secure their place in the WSL. She then remained with the club throughout all five of their top-flight campaigns.
That journey gives O’Brien a useful understanding of what happens after promotion is celebrated. Reaching the WSL is only the first stage; the squad must then adjust to stronger opponents, smaller margins and weeks in which promising performances do not necessarily produce points.
Palace are returning with a substantially reshaped team, but several of their arrivals will need to form connections quickly. Shannon O’Brien’s familiarity with the competition should help remove one element of that adjustment.
Why Triggering the Release Clause Matters
Leicester confirmed that Palace activated a release clause to complete the transfer for an undisclosed fee.
That detail suggests O’Brien was more than an opportunistic addition. Palace identified a player under contract, met the condition required to sign her and committed to a three-year deal.
Her final season at Leicester provides a clear reason for that interest. Finishing as the team’s leading scorer during a difficult campaign demonstrated that she could still make an attacking contribution when confidence and momentum were harder to maintain.
Palace should be able to place her within a forward group offering more variation. England provides an established central goalscorer, while Lexi Lloyd-Smith has also joined as Potter rebuilds the team. O’Brien gives the manager another forward with extensive knowledge of the division.
Her precise role remains to be established, but Palace are no longer relying on one signing to transform their attack.
Leicester Lose Another Piece of Their WSL Team
Shannon O’Brien’s departure carries a different meaning for Leicester. She was one of the remaining links between their Championship-winning side and five-year spell in the WSL. Losing her through a release clause removes last season’s top scorer while the club are rebuilding for a return to the top flight.
Leicester have added Sarah Mayling, Jessie Stapleton and other new arrivals, but O’Brien’s exit shows how much turnover the rebuild may involve. The club are not simply adding players for a promotion campaign; they are also replacing footballers who accumulated years of WSL experience in Leicester colours.
Source: Crystal Palace
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