The Football Ferns contingent in Europe is set to grow even further with goalkeeper Victoria Esson and defender Rebekah Stott putting pen to paper on a deal to play for Norwegian top-flight side Avaldsnes.

The pair spent last week in Auckland as the Ferns prepared for this month’s OFC Women’s Nations Cup in New Caledonia but will head to Norway next year and are relishing the opportunity to line up alongside each other at club level.

“I’m excited to go to Europe and start a new chapter in my career,” says Stott, now one of her country’s most experienced players after making over 60 appearances for New Zealand.

“I love all the culture in Europe and it’s always better going to a place that’s so far away from home with a friend so it’s great that Vic is going to be there as well.”

For the well-travelled Stott, Avaldsnes is the latest stop on a journey that has already seen her play professionally in three different countries – for Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City in Australia and SC Sand in Germany before stints with Seattle Reign and Sky Blue FC in the United States.

“I know they usually do very well in the league and most years they play in the Champions League as well. And the place looks pretty cool so I’m excited about living there,” the 25-year-old says.

Esson has so far spent the majority of her career in New Zealand but can give Stott some idea of what to expect after a brief stint with Avaldsnes several years ago as she looked to take her first steps in the professional game.

“I actually played for the same team and went over straight after college in the States,” says Esson, who has two caps for the Football Ferns.

“I was only there for a short period but still got a taste of the professional lifestyle and what pre-season in Norway is all about – which is mainly the cold! I ended up coming home for personal reasons which was the right decision at the time but now, five years down the track, I’m in a position where I want to go back over again and this is a good opportunity.”

Esson will head to Europe on the back of some outstanding form domestically, the 27-year-old helping the Canterbury United Pride to the top of the National Women’s League table with eight wins. She opened the campaign with three consecutive clean sheets and has been beaten more than once in a game on only one occasion.

She is also part of the Future Ferns Domestic Programme (FFDP) and becomes the seventh player to secure a professional deal from that highly-successful initiative, following in the footsteps of CJ Bott, Meikayla Moore, Jana Radosavljevic , Aimee Phillips, Katie Rood and Emma Rolston.

After juggling work commitments with football for a number of years, she grasped the opportunity to focus full-time on the sport with both hands.

“At the moment, I’m working 40-plus hours per week and then training on top of that so I’m looking forward to just being able to focus on the training. It will be great to be able to train every day, take care of the body in the downtime and make the most of being in that environment.”

Esson is pleased to have a seasoned campaigner like Stott by her side and being familiar with the club from her previous spell is another bonus.

“It’s fantastic to have one of your best mates sign as well, she’s such an experienced professional so hopefully she’ll be able to settle in quite quickly and I’ll be able to follow on,” she says.

“I know a little bit from being over there a few years ago so I understand the demands of the club, their facilities and the schedule of training and games throughout the year. But it’s a new coach now so everything changes a bit and we’ll just have to see what happens when we get over there.”

Esson and Stott will both be in action for New Zealand in their OFC Women’s Nations Cup campaign, which takes place in New Caledonia until 1 December. New Zealand are competing in Group B and earned a big victory in their opening match against Tonga yesterday. The Football Ferns are set to face the Cook Islands in their second game on Thursday from 7pm (NZT).

The winner of the tournament qualifies for both the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2020 Olympic Games.

Article added: Tuesday 20 November 2018