Perth Glory is delighted to confirm that New Zealand international forward Hannah Blake has joined the club on an injury-replacement contract for the remainder of the Liberty A-League 2022/23 Season.
The 22-year-old has been brought on board to replace Rylee Baisden whose season was sadly brought to a premature end by an ACL injury sustained against Melbourne Victory earlier this month.
Blake made her Football Ferns debut against Thailand aged just 17 having previously represented her country at both the Under-17 and Under-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.
The mobile and hard-working forward has been based in the USA since 2019 where she has starred for the University of Michigan Wolverines in NCAA Division 1, the highest level of US college football.
She is now relishing the prospect of gaining her first taste of the Liberty A-League with Glory.
“Having graduated from the University of Michigan, I was looking for the next step,” she said, “and my first step into full-time football.
“After getting an understanding of Alex [Epakis] as a coach and Perth Glory as a club, I felt as though this would be a great fit for me and even the short few days that I’ve been here have already confirmed that.
“I’m hoping to contribute positively both on and off the pitch.
“I’m looking forward to really focusing on my individual development and then using that to help the team during the back end of the season to pick up as many points as possible.”
Epakis, meanwhile, believes that Blake has the potential to be a major asset for Glory as the race for a Finals berth hots up.
“Securing Hannah for the remainder of the season is an important addition for us,” he said.
“We have a run of games over the second-half of the season and I expect Hannah to showcase her versatility and attacking style of play to help us win matches.
“She has senior and youth international experience with New Zealand and has just finished off a strong college career at the University of Michigan and I have no doubt she will bring all those experiences with her into the team.
“We searched very hard to find a replacement for Rylee outside the [transfer] window and I have no doubt that Hannah will provide great cover and bring her strengths to the team.
“She is very excited by the opportunity and I am eager to work with her and have her integrate as quickly as possible.”
Blake will be eligible to make her Glory debut in Saturday’s clash with Western United at Morshead Park Stadium in Ballarat.
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