Michelle Heyman has revealed the story behind an image of her in a West Ham kit that went viral before she her new Canberra United contract was made official on Wednesday.
Heyman re-committed to Canberra United following widespread speculation of a transfer to the WSL.
The Liberty A-League’s all-time goal leading goal scorer appeared poised to be unveiled by West Ham after a graphic of Heyman in a Hammers jersey was leaked recently on social media.
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Heyman thought the London switch was “happening”, however the deal that would have seen her link up with CommBank Matildas teammate Katrina Gorry did not transpire.
“I was cracking up,” Heyman laughed when asked about her reaction to the photo doing the rounds on social media.
“I thought it was perfect timing. I’ve been out of the newspapers for a few days, so it was lovely, you know, to see my head back in there. Good for the Instagram.
“And, yeah, I was, you know, giggling because, you know, at that point I’ve had the conversation with West Ham, and things just didn’t line up the way that we both wanted it to.”
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Heyman added: “I spent a couple of days in London doing everything because we thought it was happening.
“It was a little bit of a slip up but we all we all make mistakes and I don’t think it was a big mistake, because it was kind of good for me, and to get the talk about myself so it was funny in the long run.
“But I really loved dealing with West Ham. They were great people. And the league is incredible.”
Heyman also explained why she didn’t end up joining the Hammers, who ultimately only offered her a deal until the end of 2024.
“They were all a couple of months,” the evergreen 36-year-old said when asked if she had multi-year offers on the table.
“The deal was just to December and for myself, if I was to sign that deal, the transfer windows wouldn’t allow me to play in Australia. So it was a big decision on myself if I was to sign this contract with West Ham, then I wouldn’t be able to play football until April, when the season’s over was when the next window was going to be open.
“I would have had to move again and live overseas, somewhere else to continue a footballing contract.
“I was very lucky that (Canberra United CEO) Sam (Farrow) called Ant and Ant called me, and let me know with the transfer windows not lining up. So if I put pen to paper, I wouldn’t have had a club to play for since December.”
Heyman is coming off a history-making campaign that saw the legendary striker claim a third Golden Boot and return to the CommBank Matildas squad.
Heyman broke the Liberty A-League’s goalscoring record in 2023-24 after becoming the first player to score 100 competition goals.
The 67-cap Matilda and two-time Julie Dolan Medallist, who featured at the Paris Olympic Games this year, finished the season with 17 goals.
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Heyman – a two-time Premiership and Championship winner – enjoyed her best ever season, having found the back of the net 15 times in 2011-12 while equalling the Liberty A-League’s record for most goals in a season held by CommBank Matildas superstar Sam Kerr (2018-19 when there were 12 matches in the season).
“I really wanted to see that professionalism within football over there. I wanted to be a part of something big,” Heyman said.
“Age is just a number, but I am a little bit older than the rest of them, and to still get an opportunity in, you know, the top league in the world at my age, was something that I didn’t think would actually happen.
“I went to West Ham, I did the testing, I did it all, and we were very close to making it happen but football is more important to me, and playing games is more important.
“For myself to just play for three months and then be unsure of what’s going to happen next, it’s going to jeopardise me being in a national team, jeopardise the rest of my career that we don’t know how long that’s going to be.
“I just had to put Michelle first, and Canberra was always there with me. They were calling the A-Leagues. They were trying to do everything to make that deal go ahead. So they had their full support of me going to play overseas.
“That’s one thing I love about this club. I’m not just a number to them. I am family, and I’m a big part of this club. So I’m grateful for the support that Canberra United has had for me during these this process, and I’m just grateful to be here.”
Heyman added: “We were trying to do everything. We were trying to sign me earlier for Canberra and then get loaned out so I could go because they really wanted me to be a part of something special.
“Ant said he wants what’s best for Michelle Heyman as a footballer and as a friend and that was for me to go there and see what it was like. But things happen for a reason, and I’m really grateful that I had the support with me from Canberra United.
“I’m extremely grateful to be here today, to have pen to paper, to be in the A-Leagues, doing the thing that I love, and to play in a league that’s going to last a lot longer than three months.”
Heyman’s historic season – one that saw her reach 110 career goals in the A-Leagues – resulted in a return to the international arena having not represented the CommBank Matildas since 2018.
She scored four goals in a World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan, while she also found the back of the net at the Olympics.
In her past nine games for Australia, Heyman has scored seven goals.
Heyman joins Ruby Nathan, Hayley Taylor-Young and Sofia Christopherson in re-signing for Canberra, while Sally James has also arrived.
Meanwhile, Chloe Lincoln, Sasha Grove, Vesna Milivojevic, Emma Ilijoski and Nickoletta Flannery have departed.
Canberra United head coach Antoni Jagarinec was asked if the photo of Heyman in a West Ham jersey freaked him out.
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He replied: “Absolutely not, with the context that I had.
“West Ham was no secret it was on the table among other clubs around Europe and America and South America and everywhere.
“West Ham was an option. So when I saw it, I didn’t freak out too much, because it kind of will come to the final stages of the signing the contracts anyway.”
“I think the proof’s in the pudding,” he added.
“If she’s here, that calibre of player that had multi contracts on the table all around the world, and she chose Canberra, it says the confidence in itself that she wants to be here.
“Now we have to support her and the club and the all the rest of the players and get behind them to do what we want to do?.”
