Vanessa Gilles was arguably Canada’s best player at the Olympics (Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia … (+)
Vanessa Gilles is a prime example of the fact that there is no one way to become a professional footballer.
After playing tennis throughout her childhood, Gilles switched to football at the age of 15.
Today she won the UEFA Champions League with Olympique Lyonnais and won the Olympic gold medal with Canada at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Gilles has developed into a key player in Lyon and Canada’s back line and also poses a significant aerial threat in attack.
However, her path to success was neither immediate nor straightforward, so how did she achieve it?
Leaving tennis behind for football
In a parallel world, we might see Gilles competing on the WTA tour and winning Grand Slams along the way.
However, since tennis is a lonely affair and requires a lot of mental effort, she switched to soccer, a team sport where she could laugh along with her teammates.
At the age of 16, Gilles became a goalkeeper for her high school soccer team, but it wasn’t long before she was promoted to the center-back position.
The transition wasn’t easy, but the skills she honed on the tennis court – like spatial awareness, movement and footwork – proved invaluable on the soccer field.
NCAA scholarship in Cincinnati
Vanessa Gilles was a regular player in her university team
After high school, Gilles went to the University of Cincinnati, where she played NCAA soccer thanks to a full scholarship.
The Bearcats player graduated with a near-perfect grade point average and was once again grateful for the positive, supportive atmosphere that fueled her desire to continue playing after her four years of college.
She started all 82 games she played with the Bearcats from 2014 to 2017, scoring 17 points.
She was named the American Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the All-Conference first team in 2017.
Apollon Limassol and Bordeaux
After her career with the Bearcats, she moved to the other side of the world in 2018 and joined Apollon Ladies FC in Cyprus.
In an interview with Les Footeuses, Gilles looked back on the experience and admitted: “I didn’t know anything about the league or the country, but it was the only offer I had, so I accepted it.”
In her short time with the Cypriots, Gilles made eleven appearances for Apollon and scored ten goals.
“It’s hard to say it’s a professional experience when you’re playing against 13, 14-year-old kids, but it helped me get recruited by Bordeaux in France.”
Later that year, she moved to FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the French D1 Féminine, where she played 74 games and scored 6 goals.
After arriving at Bordeaux, Gilles had great difficulty adapting to the style of play, but the arrival of Spanish head coach Pedro Losa at the club helped her.
The Tokyo Games were a key moment in her career
Vanessa Gilles won gold with Canada in Tokyo (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
At the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Gilles made a name for himself on the world stage.
The Ottawa native had only made six appearances when she was named to the squad for the tournament.
After not playing as a substitute in Canada’s first two games, Gilles started in the final group match against Great Britain.
From then on, there was no turning back for her and she played every minute of the knockout rounds, including the gold medal game against Sweden, which Canada won on penalties.
Since Tokyo, Gilles has been one of the leaders of the Canadian defense.
Joining Angel City
After three and a half years with the Girondins de Bordeaux, Vanessa Gilles decided to return to the States and take on a new challenge.
Before her triumph in Tokyo and her move to Angel City, Gilles was still relatively unknown worldwide, but from then on she went steeply uphill.
On December 16, 2021, Angel City FC took the rare step of paying a transfer fee of over $50,000 to French club Bordeaux to sign Gilles.
Months later, she was loaned to French champions Olympique Lyonnais.
The dream move to France’s Olympique Lyonnais
Vanessa Gilles scored some important goals for Lyon. (Photo by Christian Hofer – UEFA/UEFA via … (+)
Lyon is arguably the ultimate destination for any female football player. With 8 UEFA Women’s Champions League trophies to their name, the club is known for recruiting the best talent in the world.
In September 2022, they set their sights on Canadian Vanessa Gilles.
Although it came as a surprise to some, it didn’t take long for Gilles to prove the sceptics wrong, resulting in an extension of her loan until June 2025.
With Griedge Mbock out due to a long-term injury, Gilles seized the opportunity and made the most of it, forming an impressive duo with French international Wendie Renard as complementary central defenders.
Lyon fans were used to Renard’s talent as a header scorer from set pieces, but with the arrival of Gilles, their anticipation doubled as she also posed a significant threat in the air.
Canada’s hero at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris
Gilles was arguably Canada’s standout player of the tournament, not only for her two decisive goals in the wins against France and Colombia, but also for her leadership qualities on the field.
Lyon’s defender set the tone with her tireless play, driven by the difficult circumstances the team found itself in. She was successful in disrupting the opponent’s attack and launching counterattacks after regaining possession.
After representing her father’s home country France at U23 level, Gilles moved to her native Canada and made her senior national team debut in 2019.
Since then, she has been a key figure in the team’s fight for equal treatment from the association.
Vanessa Gilles was Canada’s key player at these Olympics (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)
Gilles has experienced the highs and lows of the women’s national team, including winning the gold medal in Tokyo and the disappointment of being eliminated in the group stage of the 2023 World Championships – a tough result for the Olympic champions.
Amid a controversy over drone spying, Gilles, who categorically denied any wrongdoing, scored a dramatic winning goal against France in the 12th minute.th Minute of injury time (2:1), so Canada’s hopes remained alive despite a six-point deduction.
Just three days later, the 28-year-old secured qualification with his only goal in the 1-0 win against Colombia.
Although Canada’s determined run ended in a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Germany, it was further proof of Vanessa Gilles’ rise to the top of world football.
