Ben Gilby continues his series profiling our Glory A-League Women’s squad with a feature on birthday girl, Megan Wynne…
Perth Glory’s Welsh international midfielder Megan Wynne believes that the incremental improvements in the team’s performances can lead to an exciting second half of the Ninja A-League season.
“I think we have made massive strides since pre-season and although there is still plenty of work to do and improvements to be made, I think we can be proud of the learning that has taken place so far,” she said.
“I’m confident that the improvement in performances will lead us to gaining more and more points as the weeks go by.
“I think at the start of the season there was a real emphasis on being hard to beat, being defensively compact and winning our one-v-one battles.
“This has then transpired onto the pitch where we have defensively made big improvements and now have a good foundation to build from.
“This has meant we can now start focusing on more attacking principles and our creativity.
“It’s been hard as we’ve had a lot of changes to our front line which meant it has been difficult to form partnerships.
“However, I think in recent weeks we have created a lot more chances, and we do look a lot more threatening.
“We now just need to be taking those chances and scoring more goals.”
Those changes to the front line have been further impacted recently due to the long term injury blow for striker Kelli Brown which came just as Wynne was starting to form a promising partnership with the former Wellington Phoenix attacker.
“I feel sorry for Kelli as she was doing great, but will now be on the side lines for a while,” said Wynne.
“It’s a real shame because I think we were starting to understand each other and the way in which we all play.
“We were linking up well, but now it’s up to someone else to step up and fill Kelli’s shoes.”
However, the 32-year-old sees real promise in her link-up with Gabby Hollar, who came to the club fresh from an impressive season in the NPLW Victoria.
“I think Gabby has done a great job so far, in what is her first fully professional season,” she said.
“It’s a big jump for her from the NPL but I think she’s really stepped up.
“She has also had to adapt and play in a more of wide role, which is new for her, but she has taken it in her stride and is always eager to learn and improve so that’s credit to her.
“For me, it’s also great to have someone like Gabby, who is a real target in the area when I look to deliver into the box.
“I know she will always be looking to get onto the end of my cross or my throw in!”
The midfielder made the move to Western Australia for her first taste of overseas football after spending 13 years playing for six clubs in England, including Tottenham Hotspur, Bristol City and Southampton.
And she felt the opportunity to play A-League football came at the right time for her.
“For my whole career I have played in England, whether that be the Championship or the WSL,” she said.
” felt like I needed something different.
“For years I’ve played at the same grounds against the same players and although I’ve loved my career to date, I felt like I needed a change of scenery and to test myself in a new league.
“I spoke with my agent about what I was looking for on and off the field and when she told me Glory were interested, we felt like the move was exactly what I was looking for.
“Watching from afar and from speaking to people, I knew the A-League was a physical, fast-paced, athletic league which suited my style.
“Then after having some good conversations with Stephen [Glory Head Coach Stephen Peters] and people at the club, I knew that this is where I wanted to be and I knew I would be well looked after in Perth.
It was a big move to make both geographically and socially, but Wynne feels that it could not have gone better.
“It’s never easy moving to the other side of the world, leaving behind your friends and family and everything you know really.
“However, I felt like it has been a pretty smooth transition and I have settled in pretty quickly and feel at home already in Perth.
“I think I have to thank the girls and staff for that; they have all been great.
“Special mention has to go to Izzy Dalton for that as well.
“We have a lot of mutual friends back home and she has definitely been a huge help in welcoming me and showing me round.
“There are quite a few of us who are far away from our families and home, so I feel like we have created a good environment where everyone looks out for everyone.
“I didn’t know anyone before I arrived, but now I already feel like I’ve made some friends who will be in my life for a long time.
“The lifestyle here has also been a welcome change.
“Life in London was pretty hectic, everything often seemed crowded and busy and everyone was always in a rush.
“Life outside of training here is pretty chilled and I love living right by the beach.”
Wynne was one of a large number of new faces who came into the Glory squad ahead of this season and becoming familiar with her teammates as people as well as players was equally as important during the settling-in process.
“It was always going to take a little while for things to settle both on and off the pitch,” she said.
“We made sure we did lots of team bonding activities and had team meetings to ensure everyone was on the same page and we had clear goals that everyone was working towards.
“I feel like a massive part of a team’s success is the culture and luckily here I think we have not only a great group of footballers, but also good people.
“From the beginning of the season, we made it clear that we pride ourselves on having a good team culture, making sure everyone within the squad is respected and heard and ultimately we have high standards in everything we do.”
Glory’s #7 asserts that Stephen Peters played a major role in the new squad’s gelling process, and she has nothing but high praise for the Glory boss.
“Stephen is one of the most personable, friendly and caring managers I have ever had,” she said.
“You can tell he clearly loves the game and has a real passion for developing players and people.
“Having a manager who gets to know you as a person and genuinely cares is hard to come by, so I think that has been really refreshing for me.
“Knowing he trusts me to go out there and do my job fills me with confidence and that is massive for me as a player.
“He wants to play an aggressive, high-pressing style of football, so that’s great for me.
“I look forward to continuing to learn from him and the continued Spurs/Chelsea banter we have!”
With the 2024/25 campaign now reaching its halfway point, Wynne appears to have found her feet in the competition and is becoming an increasingly influential player in Glory’s push for the top six.
“I think overall I am pretty pleased with my performances so far,” she said.
“Obviously, as athletes and professional players we always want to do more and think we should be doing better.
“However, taking everything into consideration, such as the extremely long off-season I had, adapting to that, managing my load, then breaking my wrist early in pre-season, I think I can be proud.
“But I also know I’m ready to step it up another gear now.
“For me, it’s now about building on my good performances and directly impacting games with goals and assists.
“I think for me, my favourite game so far was the Adelaide game.
“Everything in that game everything seemed to just click, so I will try and use that game as my benchmark and build from there.
“I will always give 100% in everything I do, so I will continue to do that and the performances will take care of themselves.
“It’s also important that I try and be an influence off the field.
“I might not be the loudest in the dressing room, but I like to think I can lead by example with my experience and what it takes to be a professional player.
“I think I have also built good relationships with some of the younger players where I can have little conversations with them and help them develop as people and players.
“I feel like I have taken Ella Abdul Massih under my wing a little bit.
“She is such a technically gifted player who I think will be one to look out for in the future.”
Wynne is also more than aware of the hugely competitive nature of the league and feels that it is keeping her very much on her toes.
“I have been impressed,” she said.
“I think in some aspects, it is pretty similar to the Championship in England, with the physical and competitive nature of it.
“Anyone on their day can beat anyone, which makes it pretty exciting!
“Players have to be physically fit to compete in this league and you have to be on your game otherwise mistakes do get punished.
“There are some great players in the league and I think with continued investment and improved facilities, the league will continue to grow and attract more players.”
The competitive nature of the A-League Women means that, whilst Perth are currently in the bottom third of the table, the margins between victory and defeat are so small that it would not take much to propel them into the top six.
And Wynne identifies consistent focus and application at both ends of the field as the key requirements to make that breakthrough.
“I think the league is so tight and I think our focus still has to be on making the finals,” she said.
“In order to get there, I think we need to be more consistent.
“We have shown in moments across the season so far how good we can be, but it’s now taking those moments and delivering every single game.
“I think we have become hard to beat, but I think we need to find ways to win, no matter what.
“We have lost games and dropped points late on in games, so I’m hoping we learn from this and become better in seeing games out.
“For me personally, I want to be playing as much as possible and to be contributing in games and maintaining a high level of performances week in, week out.
“I want to have a positive impact on this squad both on and off the pitch.
“On the international front, I would love to push my way back into the Wales squad, but for now I’m focusing on performing here and see what happens.
“Sometimes I think it is overlooked as to how important it is to just enjoy your football.
“This is often when you play your best.
“So for me, it is also about enjoying playing and being present and making the most of this experience.
“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity and I feel very lucky to be a part of this team, with these players and staff and to be living here in Perth.”
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