City have made a huge acquisition this afternoon, bolstering their W-League title charge with the signing of starting Matildas fullback Ellie Carpenter on a one-year loan deal.
The 19-year-old joins from NWSL side Portland Thorns, who enjoyed a successful season which only recently ended in the semi-finals against Sam Kerr’s Chicago Red Stars.
Carpenter has already earned 35 Matildas caps in her young career and, having made her debut at just 15 years old in 2016 against Vietnam, was the first player born in the 21st Century to play for Australia’s national team.
A product of the famed Westfield Sports High School in Sydney, Carpenter has quickly become one of the top talents in her position globally and demonstrated her potential on the biggest stage when she started all four matches in the 2019 Women’s World Cup earlier this year.
The young fullback was one of the standouts of Australia’s group stage fixtures, providing a dangerous attacking threat via overlapping runs and lethal final balls from the wings when going forward whilst also utilising her impressive pace to track back and fulfil her defensive duties with aplomb.
Melbourne City’s Director of Football, Michael Petrillo, told the club website:
“Ellie brings experience beyond her years and is a very intelligent footballer that utilises her great endurance, speed and ability to perform under pressure.”
Carpenter most recently played in the W-League with Canberra United, making 21 appearances and scoring 5 goals during her time in the nation’s capital. In 2019, she appeared 16 times for Portland Thorns, providing 1 assist.
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