6/9/23
Above: Fiona Worts in action for Adelaide United during her goal-laden 2022/22 season. Photo: A-League Women.
Sydney FC has boosted its striking department with the arrival of A-League Women Julie Dolan Medalist and 2021/22 Golden Boot winner, Fiona Worts, who was most recently at Adelaide United.
The 27-year-old English forward has hit 18 goals in 39 appearances during three seasons in the A-League Women’s competition. She was named best player in the country for the 21-22 campaign after scoring 13 goals and claiming the league’s Golden Boot.
Worts spoke of her anticipation about what the move to Sydney offers. “I’m excited to be joining a club that has been so historically and recently successful. There’s great talent in the squad and I look forward to working with them and with Ante (Juric, Sydney FC head coach). I want to get back to my best self on the pitch and contribute to another great season for the club.
“I think it’s been a great year for women’s football and Australia blew away my expectations with the World Cup. I can’t wait to see what that brings to the A-League this season.”
Worts has also represented Nottingham Forest at youth level, Coventry United, and Leicester City in the FA Women’s Championship in England, and jointly holds the A-League Women’s record for most goals in a game, scoring five in Adelaide United’s 8-2 win over Brisbane Roar in 2022.
Head Coach Ante Juric is confident the striker will shine in Sydney FC’s squad. “Fiona has a proven eye for goal and is a lethal finisher,” he said.
“Her game suits our style of play and she will provide excellent competition for us in the final third. We have built a strong squad and I’m looking forward to the season beginning as we look to defend our titles. It promises to be another exciting year.”
Wellington Phoenix
Young forward Kelli Brown has returned to the club after missing out on a contract last season despite being a member of the inaugural Phoenix women’s squad, has signed with the club for the new season.
Brown, 22, has earned back her place in the Phoenix squad after scoring 23 goals in 26 matches for Macarthur Rams FC in the NPLW New South Wales competition this year, finishing a close second in the Golden Boot race.
Phoenix head coach Paul Temple says Brown has “been too good to not sign. Kelli’s scored goals wherever she’s been, she scored goals for New Zealand at the under-17 World Cup, in the national league last year and has been one of the top scorers in the NPL this year. It makes it hard to ignore her.
“We were also looking for somebody that is quite versatile. She’s played as a wide forward predominantly this season but she has also played as a striker for Macarthur so she gives us some options
“Kelli’s going to suit the way we want to play and she’s in really good goalscoring form so she’s going to come into pre-season on the back of a really strong NPL season, where she’s outscoring other really high-quality A-League players.”
The former New Zealand age-group international, who was a key member of the history-making team that finished third at the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay, now has the chance to “prove herself at the A-League level again”.
Brown is hoping she can be a regular goal scorer for the Wellington Phoenix. “That’s the aim of the game and I don’t see why not,” she said. “Going off the season that I’ve just had hopefully I can bring some goal scoring. I’m also looking forward to reconnecting with some of the girls and picking up where we left off. It’ll be good to get back and gel.”
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