The daughter of All Blacks coach Ian Foster is one of the four new Kiwis who have joined the Wellington Phoenix’s women’s team.
For the following season, which begins next month, Michaela Foster will compete on a scholarship alongside Te Reremoana Walker, Charlotte Lancaster, and Georgia Candy.
Natalie Lawrence, the head coach, expressed her excitement at the prospect of giving more aspiring New Zealand footballers an opportunity to succeed on a professional level.
“It will only help them kick on,” Lawrence said, “for us to be able to bring in more Kiwis and give them that taste of professional football and what it may look and feel like at training and the different intensity level of the game.”
“All members of the squad, including scholarship players, will have the chance to put their names forward for a spot on the team.
“The 23-year-old Foster, who previously captained the Young Football Ferns at the 2016 FIFA under-17s Women’s World Cup in Jordan, joins the team as a former New Zealand age-grade representative.
“Since about a year ago, we’ve been keeping an eye on Mickey,” said Lawrence. She came in and played a few games for us up in Auckland, and every weekend I watch national league games, and she’s been a reliable performer all season.
She is capable of using both feet, can play any position on the pitch, and has experience leading high-performance teams because she served as captain of the New Zealand under-17 women’s squad. By being able to offer her a scholarship spot, she will have the chance to demonstrate her football prowess. That’s pretty exciting we can do that for her, and she’s earnt it.
“Walker and Lancaster, who have just represented New Zealand in the under-20 World Cup, return to the Wellington club from last season, while Foster and goalie Candy are new to the team.
Charlotte demonstrated during the under-20 World Cup that she has a significant impact when she enters the game, according to Lawrence. “She has a beautiful left foot. She can score from any place and make shots.
We wanted to give her another chance so we could see if we could keep moulding her into the player we know she can be.
Walker, 18, had a full-time contract with the team last year before returning this year on a scholarship, according to Lawrence.
Lawrence stated, “She doesn’t perceive it as a demotion. “She sees it as another opportunity to get more experience in professional football.
That’s the mindset we need, and we are really happy with how she is adjusting to moving to a scholarship position.
“Her future looks incredibly promising. She stands out among other players. She is quite technical and capable of playing multiple roles.”
The four scholarship players take the Phoenix women’s squad to 20, with two potential spots to be filled.
The women are currently in their first week of preseason practise ahead of their historic opening round encounter versus Melbourne City on November 20 in Wellington.
One of the four new Phoenix scholarship players is Ian Foster’s daughter.
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