Matildas’ midfielder Katrina Gorry has signed a professional contract overseas, choosing to join Damallsvenskan side Vittsjö GIK. This will be the fourth venture abroad for the Gorry, the first though since giving birth last August.
Katrina Gorry overseas signing
- Matildas midfielder Katrina Gorry has signed with Damallsvenskan side Vittsjö GIK.
- She will be headed to Sweden with baby Harper, who was born last August.
- The midfielder player recently made her 100th Brisbane Roar appearance.
More Matildas news can be found on The Women’s Game.
Gorry’s 100th appearance with A-League Women’s side Brisbane occurred in this past weekend. The midfielder took ten seasons to accomplish the feat having joined the Queensland club from Melbourne Victory.
She will now remain loyal to her Australian side. Prior to her European move, Brisbane Roar have confirmed that Gorry will see out her “special” A-League season with the club. Speaking to the club’s website, the midfielder said:
“Brisbane Roar have been a massive support for me after coming back and I wouldn’t want to leave them halfway through the season,” Gorry said.
“I love playing with this group. It’s a special bunch and a group I’m really proud of. This season has been really special for me, so I wasn’t going to cut it short and head somewhere else.”
With the Damallsvenskan season starting at the end of March, Gorry will likely not miss any of her new Swedish club’s regular season games, just a few of Vittsjö’s pre-season fixtures.
She will link up with fellow Matildas and former Brisbane Roar player Clare Polkinghorne, the defender having extended her stay with Vittsjö at the end of last season.
Vittsjö narrowly missed out on a Champions League last year, missing a qualification spot by three points. They have specified that their signing of Gorry will strengthen the side who hope to climb the ladder and challenge for contention.
The Swedish move will be Gorry’s fifth stint abroad, having previously played for the NWSL’s FC Kansas City and Utah Royals, Vegalta Sendai in Japan, as well Norwegian Toppserien side Avaldsnes. The move will be a first though for Gorry’s daughter Harper, who was born last August.
🤝 @vittsjogikofcl har gjort klart med den australienska mittfältaren Katrina Gorry. 29-Ã¥riga Gorry har erfarenhet frÃ¥n 78 landskamper och spel bÃ¥de hemma i Australien, USA, Japan och Norge.#OBOSDamallsvenskan pic.twitter.com/mA03T7gbOm
— OBOS Damallsvenskan (@_OBOSDamallsv) January 31, 2022
The transition should not be too difficult as Vittsjö is a club with previous experience of players with young children. The chair of Vittsjö GIK women’s section Erika Nillson spoke of her excitement of both Gorry and Harper’s arrival to the club’s website:
“Hiring a single parent who takes their daughter to a new country is, of course, a challenge and places demands on us as a club in many ways,” said Nillson.
“But we have a very good network of contacts around the club and we have many “nannies” who look forward to meeting both Katrina and her little Harper.
“Katrina is a very exciting profile and we are incredibly positive about signing such a qualified player.
“We have got another Australian national team player and another Vittsjö baby and we really like that!”
The move was prompted by this positive feedback, and by discussions Gorry had with teammate Polkinghorne:
“It was really nice that Sweden fit in perfectly with the end of the season here,” she said to Roar’s website.
“I spoke to Polks quite a bit about the club and she only said positive things. I’ll head over straight after the season.
“When I had Harper, I promised her and my family that I would do whatever it took to get back in the national team and in contention for that 2023 World Cup.
“It’s going to be an amazing adventure for us. She’s going to be speaking Swedish and I’m not going to know what she’s saying!
“In a couple of years time we’ll be able to look back and share those memories together.
“I’m really looking forward to it, looking forward to playing consistent games and putting my hand up for the next [Matildas] selection.”
Gorry will next feature tomorrow Wednesday, February 2, 2022. Brisbane Roar are away at Sydney FC. The match begins at 17:35 AEDT.
The full A-League Women’s schedule can be found using this link.
Copyright ©The Women’s Game All rights reserved.