Wellington Phoenix have signed experienced English forward Olivia Fergusson for the 2024-25 Liberty A-League season.
Fergusson arrives in Wellington with an impressive CV, having played for the likes of Scottish giants Celtic as well as Bristol City and Yeovil Town during their time in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
The 29-year-old scored six goals for Wolves in the FA Women’s National League North last season – England’s third tier.
“I’ve obviously played over in England for a long time, and was looking for a new challenge,” Fergusson said.
“Paul (head coach Paul Temple) contacted my agent and asked if I would consider the A-League.
“To be honest I never thought I’d get an opportunity to play in the A-League, so I was definitely interested.
“I caught up with Paul on a Teams chat, and that was my first real insight into the club and what he was wanting to achieve. I was really hooked after that first call.
“He’d definitely done his research on me, and I feel like what he had interpreted that I can bring really aligned with what I see in myself.”
A six-time England Under-17 international, Fergusson played for Celtic in 2022-23 and scored three goals.
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Fergusson added: “Obviously my name is Fergusson, so at Celtic I picked up the nickname of Fergie after (legendary Manchester United manager) Alex Ferguson.
“He was known for his teams scoring late goals. I did that a couple of times at Celtic and it was known as scoring in Fergie time.
“That stuck, and at Wolves last season I scored a few late goals as well.”
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Fergusson is Wellington’s second signing of the off-season, after Portuguese goalkeeper Carolina Vilão.
Rebecca Lake, Emma Main, Tiana Jaber and Alyssa Whinham have also re-signed for the Phoenix.
“As soon as Olivia came on the radar, I thought she would be a great fit,” said head coach Paul Temple.
“We needed another top-level striker, and she fits the bill. She’s also an experienced player with hunger and drive.
“Olivia’s playing career across the WSL, Championship and SWPL speaks for itself. She’s played at big clubs and knows how football at the top level works.
“She’s a versatile forward who likes to run in behind defenders and the way she plays will fit our style of play brilliantly.
“Supporters want to see players who give their all for the shirt, and everything we have seen from Olivia tells us she is a player the fans will enjoy watching.”
