Above: Western Australian Abbey Green in action for Perth Glory against Melbourne City last season. She joins fellow local product Bella Wallhead in signing a new two-year deal at the club. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
26/5/22.
Highly-rated teenage duo Abbey Green and Isabella Wallhead have both re-signed with Perth Glory for the next two Liberty A-League seasons.
19-year-old Green, who debuted in purple during the 2018/19 season, enjoyed a breakout campaign last year, making six starts and adapting superbly having been moved to a previously unfamiliar role at full-back.
Those performances earned the Perth local a place in the Young Matildas squad earlier this year.
Wallhead, also 19, has been with the club since 2019 and currently has ten Liberty A-League appearances to her name, four of which were starts.
A former Junior Matildas representative, the composed and uncompromising central defender is currently playing for Heidelberg United in the NPL Victoria.
Both Green and Wallhead are relishing the prospect of continuing their respective football journeys with their hometown club.
“I’m very excited and grateful to sign with Perth again for the next couple of years,” said Green. “The team has a really positive culture and I’m determined to work hard and cement myself in the starting eleven. I think the main goal for this season is to make Finals after coming so close last year.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Wallhead. “I’m really excited to have signed for another two seasons with Glory,” she said. “We have such a young team that’s improving and developing as the seasons go on and I’m beyond excited to see what the future holds for us.
“Last season we came so close to the Finals with all the hurdles we had to face, so this coming season I believe we can do it. The team culture and morale with these girls is absolutely amazing and I think we can achieve anything.”
Head Coach Alex Epakis, meanwhile, is confident that Green and Wallhead will continue to progress and fulfil their undoubted potential.
“To secure both Abbey and Bella for the next two seasons is a really great outcome for the club and for the two players respectively,” he said. “They are WA locals who have spent time at the club, developed, and are now ready to play a bigger role within the team over the next few seasons.
“Both players have shown over recent seasons that they have the ability and mindset to compete at the A-League Women level and their character and commitment to the club is strong. My role will be to support their development further and give them and the team the best chance to keep progressing forward. I am excited by what they can both offer.”
Glory CEO Tony Pignata is similarly enthused by the way the club’s Liberty A-League squad is taking shape ahead of next season.
“The club is committed to providing opportunities for young WA players to play at A-League level and both Abbey and Bella have seized the opportunities they have been given,” he said.
“They have the potential to be major players for Glory going forward and securing their services for another two years helps further enhance the quality and balance of the playing group. Our Members and fans love seeing local players representing their hometown club and we look forward to Abbey and Bella doing exactly that in the coming seasons.”
Today’s announcement follows yesterday’s news that Cyera Hintzen and Liz Anton have renewed their contracts for a further season in addition to Tash Rigby who was secured on Tuesday. The vast majority of the squad that played for the club last season is now under contract for 2022/23. The club are expected to make further squad announcements will be made shortly.
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