Alana Cook currently plays for OL Reign of NWSL. Image Source: Social Media.
Although the world has moved forward, there are still some places where women are not exposed to many opportunities. In the USA, not all are allowed to take chances to do something, no matter what field. On the contrary, the American soccer player, Alana Cook, is lucky, as the doors for every opportunity were opened for her.
Cook is a professional soccer player who plays for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club OL Reign. She is a defender and member of the United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT). With her growing fame, people have shown interest in devouring the player’s personal details. So, keep reading!
Grew Up in a Family of Four
The soccer player was born Alana Simone Cook in Worcester, Massachusetts, on April 11, 1997. Alana Cook’s parents, Florence Cook and Bryan Cook met each other at work after he moved to the USA from England in his late 20s. She grew up in Worcester and then in Far Hill, New Jersey, with her elder sibling, Brianna Cook.
Additionally, the talented player also has a half-sister, Nicola Salter. Alana shares an adorable bond with her family. Growing up in a supportive household, her parents must have provided her undeniable support when she revealed her professional plans.
Love for Soccer Runs in the Family
For Alana, soccer was not a spontaneous choice, as her love or relationship with the sport started in her earliest years. Alana Cook’s father is the one who encouraged her to play it. She was four or five when she was going Kinder-Kickers, which she marks as the start of her soccer career. At her age, when most of the kids watched Saturday cartoons, she spent her Saturday morning watching soccer.
In addition, Cook revealed that she used to watch the English Premiere League or any game on TV on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Alana Cook’s dad was a big name in Oxford, where he played for the local league side Oxford United in the 60s and 70s. The father-daughter duo bonded through Manchester United, which was always on TV back then.
Besides her dad, Alana Cook’s sister, Brianna, is also an athlete. She played softball at Amherst College and represented the Great Britain softball team during the World Championship in Canada in 2016.
Committed to an Ivy School After High School
Alana, who grew up in Far Hills, New Jersey, went to a boarding school named The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey. She helped the varsity soccer team to a state championship. At the same time, she played club soccer for Match Fit Colchester. By the time she was in her sophomore year of high school, Cook had already committed to Stanford University.
Sunday was @whatz_Cookin’s 80th appearance in Cardinal colors 👉 Stanford’s two-year captain has not missed a start since she arrived on The Farm in 2015. 💯 #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/RyHOJtS9ET
— Stanford Women’s Soccer (@StanfordWSoccer) October 3, 2018
The Massachusetts native described committing to Stanford was possible because of her club team, Match Fit Academy, and high school. Match Fit supported them throughout the college recruiting showcases, helping reach out to the coaches and make them seen. As a result, in 2015, she started her journey as an Ivy student.
At college, Alana focused majorly on human-computer interaction. In 2018, she graduated with a degree in symbolic systems.
Won U.S. Youth Soccer National League Title in High School
Alana, who started playing soccer at a very young age, continued doing so in high school. As a senior, she had eight assists and scored 12 goals. Her high school career was exemplary as she showcased her immense talents and bagged several awards, including the 2015 NSCAA High School Scholar Player of the Year and 2013 New Jersey Prep Player of the Year.
Cook also became the Two-time NSCAA Youth All-America while guiding her high school to the 2013 New Jersey Independent Athletic Association title. In addition, she earned Best XI honors for her performance at the NSCAA High School All-America Game. When she played for Match Fit Colchester, it went three years without losing to any other teams in New Jersey. Additionally, she also won the 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer National League title.
Exemplary Skills During Her Collegiate Career
Like her high school career, Alana showed immense talent as one of the players on her university team. She helped her team dominate the Pac-12 for four years, claiming four conference titles and a national championship as a junior in 2017. It was the same year she became the team captain and the MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist.
Let’s take a look at her collegiate records.
| Year | Games Started | Shots |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 23 | 9 |
| 2016 | 21 | 9 |
| 2017 | 25 | 15 |
| 2018 | 24 | 12 |
Table Source: Stanford Women’s Soccer Roster
Alana revealed that she was focused just on the college season during her senior year. However, after her team lost the College Cup, she started working with an agent who helped her with her career abroad.
Played at One of the Biggest Clubs in Europe
The agent Alana worked with during her senior year wanted to put out feelers in Europe to see the opportunities. One day, the agent revealed that Paris St. Germain FC (PSG) was interested in her and asked if it intrigued her. She did not want to miss out on such opportunities, and she was set to play at one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Alana drew courage and motivation from the knowledge that other Americans who played at the level she dreamed of competing at – like colleague Allie Long – had played for the same club. Playing in France helped her open the door to more opportunities, like playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Cook could play in the Champions League, and her debut game was against Chelsea in the quarterfinal. Alana, eligible to play for England through her dad, achieved a lot internationally, which went unnoticed.
A Valuable Gem of USWNT
Alana has not only played internationally but has also represented her country at several events. She began representing her home nation on youth national teams as a teenager. Here is a list of her national team experience.
- Participated in U.S. U-20 camps in 2016 and accompanied the team to Spain for the La Manga Tournament.
- One of the members of the U.S. team getting ready for the 2016 U-20 World Cup
- Was a member of the U.S. team that finished second at the NTC U-20 Invitational in June 2015
- Was the team captain of the U-17 national team in numerous international friendlies in 2013 and the U23 in 2019
In October 2019, Alana was called up to the USWNT along with Adrianna Franch, Alyssa Naeher, Emily Sonnett, Casey Short, and others. She has been playing well and is undeniably a valuable gem of USWNT.
Her Transfer Fee is One of the Largest in Women’s Soccer
Alana was drafted in first-round draft grade in the 2019 NWSL College Draft but decided to forgo it. Instead, she chose to play in Europe and signed a three-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain, a French Division 1 Féminine team. In June 2020, OL Reign signed her for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup on a short-term loan, and she eventually signed a contract with the team in 2021. Now, let’s take a look at her club career records.
| Season | Team | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | OL Reign | 20 |
| 2021 | Ol reign | 20 |
| 2020/2021 | PSG | 13 |
| 2019/2020 | PSG | 5 |
| 2018/2019 | PSG | 3 |
Table Source: Soccer Way
When FIFA released its 2021 Global Transfer report, Cook’s transfer from PSG to OL Reign was identified as one of the top 5 transfer fees paid in women’s soccer. So, all in all, she seems to be doing well. We hope her the very best in the future.
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