by Ben Gilby (23/1/25)
Above: Fiona Worts pictured during training this season. Photo: Adelaide United.
At the end of last season, Adelaide United’s English striker Fiona Worts was at a crossroads. She admitted to Impetus in an exclusive interview that she was considering turning her back on football before she recognised that what she both wanted and needed was a return to her “safe space” – Adelaide United.
“I was leaning towards not playing at all,” Worts told me. “But then I realized that everything I wanted—being around people I cared about and living in a safe place—was in Adelaide. So, I ended up reaching out to Adelaide quite late in the day, and everything just fell into place from there.
“I knew I needed to go home after my time in Sydney, and was planning on staying in England. I just wanted to go home. I was at home, thinking I would stay there, I had a great time reconnecting with people, and it was really important for me. After seeing everyone, I decided I didn’t want to stay and play there, and I even considered not playing at all and staying home.
“By the end of last season, I was very clear that the decision I made had to feel right. I wasn’t willing to sign a contract that didn’t feel right. It wasn’t just about the value of the contract or the league it was in, but also things like housing and other personal factors that were important to me at the time. When I looked at everything as a whole, I didn’t really have anything on the table that met all those needs.”
Until the striker realised that what she really wanted and needed was a return to South Australia and she’s absolutely thriving there once more.
“There have definitely been a lot of ups and downs over the last five years that I’ve been involved (at Adelaide). So there’s probably a shared feeling among many of the people who’ve been through all of that—they just want to enjoy it.
“At the start of the season, there wasn’t as much focus on how well we would do in terms of league standings. It was more about creating a supportive environment where everyone could enjoy themselves. When that’s the case, you can just see what happens. I think that’s where we’ve thrived in the past—when the environment is great, everyone enjoys being around each other and playing football together.
“You can see it when people are playing. So, I think there was definitely a sense of that coming back in, and it felt a bit different from when I left.”
One of the integral parts of the supportive atmosphere is the Reds’ head coach Adrian Stenta who has created a tight squad who have known each other for a long time, and the bond is tight as a consequence, as Worts asserted.
“There are a lot of girls here who have played with each other for a long period of time. When you go through those tough periods, you want to make sure it’s better for everyone involved. Some of the players who have come in have really bonded well with the girls who are already here, and I think that can make a big difference.
“They’ve definitely added to that. I think everyone is close, really happy for each other, and wants to see each other succeed. I think that often comes from the top as well. The coach creates that environment and drives the idea that we’re a team. We’re going to do it together, go out there, do the best we can, and see what happens.”
Worts’ footballing journey began in the Midlands region of England at the Centres of Excellence at Notts County, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester City. She takes up the story.
“I stayed with Leicester City for a while during my senior years. They weren’t playing at higher levels back then, so I had the chance to witness their rise and played in a few different leagues with them.
“For a couple of seasons, I would return to Leicester just for home games, getting the train down from Leeds where I was at University. Then I came to Adelaide in 2016-17 for a year abroad and ended up playing some NPL here and that’s when I decided, after returning home, that I wanted to try and step up to higher levels.
“I signed with the Guiseley Vixens, who were in the English National Premier League, which was the third tier at that time. I did a season with them while I was still at university, and then I had the opportunity to go back to Leicester City and join them playing in the Championship (tier two).
“It was semi-professional football, so I wasn’t getting paid, but at least it was moving towards a more professional level. I spent a season with Leicester City but was released after that year, which caught me by surprise. I ended up going to Coventry United where I played just over half a season before returning to Australia in the middle of the year.
“After my year abroad, I knew at some point I was coming back to Australia, to Adelaide. I just knew it was going to happen, though I had no idea when, why, or how. Then, in July 2019, I got released from Leicester. It was really close to the season starting, and that same weekend, I was told I had to leave my job if I wanted to keep playing.
“So I was immediately looking for a new job and moving clubs. I wasn’t really settled in anything. It’s quite funny—I’d gone to Norway to visit a friend I’d met during my year abroad in Adelaide, and we were mid-conversation, talking about how I was considering going back to Adelaide.
“Then I received a Facebook message from someone who was part of Adelaide Uni at the time I was there and had gone to Fulham United (in the NPLW SA). They asked, ‘We’re looking for a striker. Would you be interested?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I think I would.’ And everything sort of worked out from there. That was in December 2019, and by March 2020, I was on a plane.”
Worts’ first spell at Adelaide United coincided with the club’s most successful period in their history which culminated in a first spot in the Finals. It was a period that the attacker looks back on with huge pride.
“I think it was great. It was my first time playing in a professional league, and it was an amazing experience. Travelling around the states, especially as an international player, was fantastic because I hadn’t seen many of these places before. We had such a great team, and I think our squad as a whole was strong.
“Many players had waited their turn and suddenly had the opportunity to start week in and week out. They had been playing together for a long time, and everything just came together.
“It was great to be in that professional environment for the first time. I also got to see players moving on to play in Sweden and elsewhere, including American and Dutch players—people from all over the world coming here to play. I had never really witnessed that side of football before, and I think it broadened my perspective on what football could offer. It was definitely great to be a part of that.”
The success of that period, both collectively and personally gave Worts the opportunity to make the move to one of Australia’s most successful clubs, Sydney FC. Looking back now, it was a bitter-sweet experience for her.
“As an international player, it was pretty exciting to live in Sydney. It was one of those things where I thought, as a 10-year-old, could I ever imagine playing professional football in Sydney? The club has such a rich history and a great reputation, so I felt quite honoured to have the opportunity to play for a team like that.
“Sydney is very different from what I’m used to; it’s probably not quite my style. I actually enjoy the slower pace of life in Adelaide. But, for a period of time, it was a great experience. I met some wonderful people and had the chance to be part of a championship-winning team.
“I also played with some amazing players, including Cortnee Vine, a Matilda with so much experience, as well as a number of other players who have their own wealth of experience.
“I really enjoyed playing under Ante (Juric, Sydney FC head coach). He kept football quite simple in some ways. The sessions were straightforward, and the game plans were relatively easy to understand. You would go out and play, with a strong focus on work ethic and effort. It was a good environment. He could be tough when needed, but at the same time, he was very supportive.
“I think he made me tougher and more relentless. It wasn’t the kind of team where you would take extra days off. If you were tired, you worked harder. I think that’s a good mindset to have. In the modern game, there’s more emphasis on loading and taking care of yourself, which I think is great. But sometimes, it makes you check yourself and think, ‘Maybe I can push myself a bit more.’
As Worts completed her season at Sydney, she then made the move back to England. Once she realised that Adelaide was, indeed her “happy place” both personally and professionally, her return to the Reds has brought about an impressive run of form for both the player and her club.
“There’s optimism, and I don’t think there’s as much pressure. It’s not too hard to do better than it was last year, and I think that’s where it started. You just want to make sure it’s better, and once you’ve done that, it’s about keeping going—how far can it go? So, I think it’s the positive atmosphere, with people wanting to be better and going out to play football as well as they can, one game at a time.”
That approach has seen Adelaide continue to build, and as we stand on the brink of the second half of the season, the Reds are strongly placed for Finals football. That’s a real target for Worts and her team.
“I think, for me, finals definitely seem feasible. Sometimes you have games where you think, ‘Yeah, we could have a shot at the championship,’ and then other times, you have a game where you’re like, ‘I don’t know, maybe getting into the top six is a more realistic target.’ But I don’t know.
“For me, it’s just a game at a time—trying to pick up as many points as we can. The table is so hard to read at this point in the season. As you see every year, teams that pick up points early on, and in fact, it’s even happened with us, where we pick up points in the first five or six games, and then drop off. I think the main thing is not to do that—not to settle, thinking you’ve already achieved what you set out to do but to just keep trying to see how far you can take it.”
(c) Impetus 2025
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