Shanade Hopcroft

Shanade Hopcroft
Hopcroft for Crystal Palace in 2024
Personal information
Full name Shanade Shereen Hopcroft
Date of birth (1997-10-04) 4 October 1997 (age 29)
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)
International career‡
2026– Republic of Ireland 1 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:57, 29 September 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 14:01, 9 October 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

Shanade Shereen Hopcroft was born on 4 October 1997 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Hopcroft attended Aylesbury Vale Academy.

Youth career

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. She would also go on to play for London Bees, Reading and Middlesex at U17 level.

College career

In 2017, Hopcroft moved to the United States where she played college soccer for Daytona State College and the Colorado Buffaloes. During her college soccer career, Hopcroft suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and underwent surgery for the injury.

Club career

London City Lionesses, 2022–23

On 31 January 2022, Hopcroft signed for Women's Championship club London City Lionesses.

Crystal Palace, 2023–26

On 31 July 2023, Hopcrost signed for fellow Championship side Crystal Palace. 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. Hopcroft was voted the club's Player of the Year by her teammates.

Hopcroft missed most of the 2024–25 season with an injury, playing just three times in the WSL before Palace were relegated.

Hopcroft made 11 appearances in the first half of the 2025–26 season.

Birmingham City, 2026

On 9 January 2026, Hopcroft signed for WSL2 side Birmingham City. On 18 January 2026, she scored her first goal for the club in a 6–2 FA Cup win over Hull City. Birmingham City won the WSL2 and were promoted to the WSL.

Return to Crystal Palace, 2026–

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.

International career

Born in England, she is eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland through her grandmother, who was born in Tubbercurry, County Sligo. Hopcroft attended English trial camps at U12 and U15 level.

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. On 9 October, she made her internaitonal debut where she scored in an 8–0 win in Astana.

International Appearances

International Appearances and Goals by year
National Team Year Apps Goals
Republic of Ireland 2026 1 1
Total 1 1

International Goals

International Goals scored by Shanade Hopcroft
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 9 October 2026 Astana Arena  Kazakhstan 7–0 8–0 2027 World Cup qualification UEFA play-offs

Personal life

In June 2026, Hopcroft married fellow professional footballer and New Zealand international, Grace Neville.

Hopcroft has described Ronaldinho as her childhood football idol.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 27 September 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
London City Lionesses 2021–22 Women's Championship 100——100
2022–23 2241030264
Total 3241030364
Crystal Palace 2023–24 Women's Championship 2162030266
2024–25 WSL 30000030
2025–26 WSL 2 710040111
Total 3172070407
Birmingham City 2025–26 WSL 2 903100121
Crystal Palace 2026–27 WSL 40000040
Career total 7611611009212

Honours

Crystal Palace

Birmingham City

References

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 1 2 3 "Shanade Hopcroft - 2021 Soccer Roster". cubuffs.com. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "Shanade Hopcroft - second winter signing for the London City Lionesses". londoncitylionesses.com. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  5. ↑ "Hopcroft joins Crystal Palace". extratime.com. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  6. ↑ 'No-one expected this' - Crystal Palace reach WSL, Emma Smith, BBC Sport, 28 April 2024
  7. ↑ "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.
  8. 1 2 3 "Shanade Hopcroft returns to Crystal Palace". cpfc.co.uk. 3 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "Hull City vs Birmingham City: Women's FA Cup stats". bbc.com. 18 January 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Birmingham, Palace promoted to WSL as Charlton fall to play-off". bbc.com. 2 May 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "Carla Ward gives surprise call-up to Palace midfielder Shanade Hopcroft for Kazakhstan games". rte.ie. 29 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ "Shanade Hopcroft earns surprise call-up to Ireland squad for World Cup playoff". irishtimes.com. 29 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "Kazakhstan 0 - 8 Republic of Ireland". uefa.com. 9 October 2026. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ "Getting to know... Shanade Hopcroft". London City Lionesses. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  17. ↑ "Shanade Hopcroft Stats". soccerway.com. Retrieved 29 September 2026.