Perth Glory is delighted to confirm that highly-rated teenagers Isabella Wallhead and Abbey Green have re-signed with the club for the Westfield W-League 2021/22 Season.
The duo, both aged 18, continued their development last season with defender Wallhead starting four games and making a further three appearances as a substitute and attacker Green producing two lively cameos off the bench before injury unfortunately brought her campaign to a premature end.
The Perth locals, who went head-to-head with their respective NPLW WA sides Hyundai NTC Women and Murdoch University Melville FC on Friday evening, are excited at the prospect of donning the famous purple once again in 2021/22.
“I’m thrilled to be signing again for Glory and can’t wait to see what this season brings us,” said Wallhead.
“Although we faced many hurdles last season, the camaraderie between the players and staff was amazing to be a part of.
“It allowed me to be more confident in my abilities knowing that the team would have my back.
“I was beyond happy last year to get the game-time I did and can’t wait to continue improving in the coming season.”
“I’m also really excited to get the opportunity to play again this season,” said Green.
“Alex Epakis [Head Coach] has created a really positive environment at the club and despite lots of obstacles last season, everyone kept their heads up and kept working.
“Everyone’s determined to have a more successful season this year and prove ourselves as a team which I’m grateful to be a part of.”
Epakis, meanwhile, is confident that both players are capable of making a major contribution to the Glory cause in the upcoming campaign.
“Bella showed last season that despite her age, she can go toe-to-toe with strong opposition players,” he said.
“She developed throughout the course of the season and we are happy to have given her another opportunity to be able to continue to represent her home State.
“Bella will have the ability to further grow and develop within the environment and have the opportunity to learn from senior players.
“She is a player with a great skill-set and I can’t wait to work with to her find another level in her game next season.
“The same applies to Abbey who unfortunately sustained an injury early in the season which kept her off the field for the majority of the year.
“It was disappointing, as she certainly would have played a part in helping the squad.
“Nonetheless, she is now fully recovered, fit and extremely determined to represent Glory again.
“As a WA local, Abbey certainly brings the effort and desire to ensure her home club is ready to compete strongly in the competition next season and I am excited to see how she performs.
“I’ll be ensuring that she gets the right support and coaching to really showcase her ability.”
Glory CEO Tony Pignata believes that the re-signing of Wallhead and Green represents another clear example of the club’s commitment to giving young WA talent an opportunity to shine on the W-League stage.
“Bella and Abbey are among the most promising players in the country in their respective positions,” he said, “and they know that they will be given the best possible chance to develop at this club.
“We’re all looking forward to watching them take the next step on their football journeys in the coming season as part of a revitalised, vibrant and highly-competitive Glory squad.”
#OneGlory
