Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
New Zealand age group international Grace Wisnewski has signed a new one-year deal with Wellington Phoenix.
New Zealand age group international midfielder Grace Wisnewski was welcomed back by Wellington Phoenix just a few months ago. after thinking i would never play football again.
Mental health issues saw the 20-year-old cut short her first season in A-League Women, but Wisnewski said she was now in a much better place and ready to resume her professional career.
Wisnewski has signed a new one-year deal with Phoenix, becoming the 10th player secured for the 2022-23 season.
Wisnewski started all three matches during New Zealand’s recent U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign in Costa Rica after taking time out of the game to prioritize her well-being.
READ MORE:
* Football Ferns coach hopes to be without veteran defender Rebekah Stott for the rest of 2022
* Former Matildas player included in Football Ferns squad for September friendlies
* Matildas star Sam Kerr is the first female footballer to appear on the FIFA world cover
“If I think back to six months ago, I wasn’t sure if I would ever play football again,” Wisnewski said.
“I’d be lying if I told you the last six months have been easy, but it wasn’t a no-brainer for me to re-sign with Phoenix.
“[Coach] Gem [Lewis] Y [assistant] natural [Lawrence] They have been two people who have helped me a lot in the last six months, so I am very excited to work with them again and play for the club again.
WELLINGTON PHOENIX
Wellington Phoenix’s new striker Oskar Zawada speaks to the media.
Wisnewski played the full 90 minutes in the 11 games he started during Phoenix’s inaugural season, spending all of them in Australia, but missed the last three games. after making the call to go home to New Zealand when the border opened.
“In a way, I’m a little bit happy about what happened last season. It was a huge learning curve for me and I’m definitely in a better place now and I’m excited to get into the season.”
Lewis said she was delighted to welcome Wisnewski back into the fold.
“She was huge for us in our first season. She was a great engine for us and her work rate was outstanding,” said Lewis.
“A lot of the things that she does you don’t notice at first glance, but when you look at them again you realize that she’s the one that breaks up the game, gets the ball back and creates chances for us.
“We also saw that in the under-20s. She continues to grow and develop and with everything she’s been through in the last few years, she’s coming out stronger and I’m really excited to see where her soccer goes.
“I think having another season with us will be really beneficial for her.”
