Illawarra Stingrays star Caitlin Cooper calls time on her professional football career

Cooper, who joined the Stingrays in 2009, has had a successful professional career with A-League Women's sides Central Coast, Canberra, Sydney FC and two stints with Western Sydney, which is where she played last season.

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The 34-year-old registered 10 appearances for the national team, scoring two goals, one against Honk Kong in 2008 Olympic qualifying and one against Portugal in the 2018 Algarve Cup.

Cooper also made 15 appearances for the Young Matildas between 2004-2007 where she managed to score three goals.

Her major honours include a premiership and championship double with Canberra in 2012, being named inaugural captain for the Mariners and more recently winning the Wanderers player of the year medal in 2021.

Stingrays president Kathy McDonogh had the upmost praise for Cooper's professionalism around the team and said that every player looked up to her.

"I cannot speak highly enough of Cailtin and what she does for the players and the club," she said.

"The way she goes about her business and how professional she goes about things is second-to-none. Her presence around the team is amazing."

Cooper recently played with fellow Stingrays teammates Danika Matos, Sheridan Gallagher and Erica Holloway at the Wanderers last season. McDonogh said that despite her busy schedule, Cooper has always been a humble person loyal to her local club.

"When she was at the Wanderers last season playing with her other Stingrays teammates she would offer to carpool when the others were struggling to get to training," she said.

"They will definitely miss her leadership on the field. She is fabulous and a real leader.

"She is loyal, hard-working, a great leader and she is humble. The Stingrays congratulate her for a very successful professional career and we are so pleased to have her at our club."

McDonogh said Cooper would be back for the Stingrays next season as the side enters it's off-season before they return in 2023 looking to improve on their eighth placed finish this year.

Cooper featured in all-but one of the team's games this season and managed to get her name on the scoresheet twice in wins over NWS Spirit and the Emerging Jets.

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