By Alex Riley

Special to SMUMustangs.com
 

DALLAS – Allie Thornton is undoubtedly Texas born and bred. She grew up in Arlington before spending her college career just down the road at SMU.

This place has always been home. Yet today, she feels a bit uncomfortable in a familiar place. 

After four years trekking across Europe playing professional women's soccer, Thornton is back in the Metroplex. She's excited to return to the Lone Star State, recently signing a contract with Dallas Trinity FC, the newly founded USL Super League team that will officially debut this August. 

The discomfort isn't in the surroundings or the opportunity that lies ahead – it's in the driver's seat. Aside from some visits back to America every six months, Thornton really hasn't driven since leaving the country. It's one of many things she's having to adjust to since returning home. 

"I never really imagined myself having to re-integrate into my home country. Because right now I'm at the point where I still feel like I'm an American foreigner, which is a very interesting thing to navigate," Thornton said with a laugh. 

It's a situation the self-described "home body" would have called unlikely several years ago. She arrived at SMU with a UIL Class 4A state title to her credit, helping Kennedale High win the title in 2015. The accolades didn't stop after moving to college as she earned first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors four straight years, starting 78 of the 79 matches she played in. Thornton helped the Mustangs reach the NCAA Tournament her freshman year and the program finished with 10 or more wins every season she was on the pitch. 

Even with all the success, Thornton knew her path to playing the sport for a living would likely lead out of the country. She talked with former SMU women's soccer coach Chris Petrucelli about what that might look like. 

"(Chris) had kind of pitched the idea of going abroad to me and I lucked out because my dad is French," Thornton said. "He was born there, so I was able to get my French passport through his side of the family, which made the transition abroad so much easier for me because I was considered a French citizen. Which you would never, ever guess based on how I speak French but I try."

After connecting with an agent and discussing options, Thornton made plans to graduate a semester early. Exactly 10 days after she walked across the stage and received her diploma, she was on a plane to France. 

"It was tough, but it was almost good that everything happened so quickly," Thornton said. "I remember I signed the contract the same day I graduated and they were like, 'Oh, by the way, we need you in a week and a half.' It was like I didn't even have time to second guess it or hesitate because it was like, 'I signed, now I have to go because they've already booked my plane ticket.'"

What started as a whirlwind turned into the experience of a lifetime, one Thornton is eternally grateful for. 

She spent two seasons in France playing for two different organizations, starting with Le Harve in 2021. When her first contract expired, Thornton was contacted by coach Dave Mattheus in Belgium to gauge her interest. At the time, she wasn't ready to leave France and opted to sign with another French team, Issy, for the 2022 season. 

A year later, Mattheus called again. He received a new role with a higher level team in Belgium, RSC Anderlecht, and still wanted to add Thornton to his roster. 

"He had reached out again and told me he had moved to Anderlecht, which was the first-place team, and he was still interested in having me. It was like, 'Champions League? Winning history?' That seemed like a no-brainer at that point," Thornton said. 

Over the next two years, Thornton became a vital part of the club's success, including 10 goals and seven assists during the 2023 campaign. She helped RSC Anderlecht capture back-to-back Super League championships, giving the franchise seven straight titles dating back to 2018. 

Playing soccer at one of the highest levels in Europe was special by itself – the cultural exchange was an added bonus. During her four years overseas, she visited places and experienced things many people often dream of. 

And she did it all while playing and learning more about the game she loves. Having trained exclusively in America prior to the move, Thornton had a much different perspective on how to play soccer, something that has been completely reshaped. 

"Obviously in the states we focus a lot on the physicality, the speed, the strength, and then the technical and tactical kind of comes second. But here in Europe, everything here is so technical and so tactical," Thornton said. "I feel like it's been so cool being in both areas because I'm expanding my game even more as a player than I would only being in Europe or only being in the states, so I feel like I'm benefiting from that because it's making me a little more versatile."

That experience is what she's excited to bring home. 

After his time at SMU, Petrucelli went on to coach the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women's Soccer League the last two years. This spring, he was selected as general manager of Dallas Trinity FC.

One of his first calls was to see if Thornton was up for a reunion. 

"Chris was the one who reached out to me and was like, 'Hey Al, I have this awesome opportunity for you and I want to talk and tell you about what it all entails,'" Thornton said. "As soon as we had that first conversation, I was sold on the idea of coming home."

And that brings Thornton back to the driver's seat of a new car. When she left for Europe four years ago, she opted to get rid of hers since she wouldn't need it. Not only is she having to get accustomed to driving again, but she's doing it in a vehicle she's never been in. 

There will be lots of moments like this as she adjusts back to the American way of doing things. Thornton knew her journey was going to lead to unexpected places and she's truly grateful for it all. She's also glad the road ended up back home. 

"I think when I was still at SMU and kind of thinking about what my career would look like post-college, one of the first things I said was that I want to go abroad, I want to go to Europe, I want to get that experience and kind of build up my résumé. But, eventually, I want to come back and play in the states," Thornton said. "It's obviously kind of hard to plan out your path, but for the goals I set out for myself from Day 1, to now actually achieve them is a really cool feeling."