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Football Ferns midfielder Betsy Hassett has signed with Wellington Phoenix for the upcoming A-League Women season.
One of New Zealand’s most experienced international footballers is coming home to play for Wellington Phoenix in a move she says is “a dream come true”.
132-cap Football Ferns midfielder Betsy Hassett has signed with the Phoenix ahead of the upcoming A-League Women season after a decade playing in Europe.
The 31-year-old said she had always wished she could play professional football in New Zealand and the timing felt right to come home with the Phoenix gaining entry into the A-League Women last season and the 2023 Women’s World Cup on the horizon.
Hassett has plied her trade in Europe for the past 10 years, playing for the likes of Manchester City, Werder Bremen Ajax, and most recently Stjarnan in Iceland where she has juggled football with work as a kindergarten teacher.
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She is a veteran of three World Cups and three Olympics and has been a mainstay in the Football Ferns squad since her debut against Argentina in 2008.
Hassett said the move home to New Zealand will allow her to become a fulltime footballer again.
“Ever since I was a little kid I’ve always wished there was a professional team in New Zealand,” Hassett said.
“That was one of the things I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid and now finally there is a team it’s perfect timing.
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“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and it may be my last opportunity as it might be the end of my career soon. It’s a dream come true.
“Now we have this professional team it’s so cool for the younger girls in New Zealand to look up to us and have something to aspire to. It’s going to be great getting the fans pumped and ready for the World Cup.”
With more than 100 international caps under her belt, Hassett will bring considerable experience to a Phoenix squad that had an average age of only 20 last season.
Their sole capped international during their debut campaign was striker Grace Jale, who had played for New Zealand just four times.
Hassett is the second established Football Fern to commit to the Phoenix for season two following last week’s signing of forward Paige Satchell from Sydney FC.
“Having that extra experience is going to add a lot of value to the team, as it’s something we missed last season,” coach Gemma Lewis said.
“She’s definitely going to help us a lot.
“We wanted to get a couple of key, experienced players that are going to help us move forward without completely changing what we did last year, because we feel like we just got started.
“We showed the potential those young players we were working with do have and if we get the right players to play alongside them to add that experience then we feel like we’re going to go up a gear and really compete even more within the league.”