Central Coast Mariners have announced the arrival of 19-year-old centre-back and Young Matildas captain Jessika Nash ahead of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season.
Nash joins Emily Husband’s Mariners after two seasons at Melbourne Victory; the teenage defender’s career began at Canberra United before stints at Sydney FC and Victory. Nash is preparing for her fifth Ninja A-League season after captaining the Young Matildas to the 2024 U20 Women’s Asian Cup and the 2024 U20 Women’s World Cup.
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Despite being just 19 years of age, Nash is an experienced central defender and, having won the Ninja A-League Premiership with Sydney FC in 2021-22, knows what it takes to win silverware in Australia’s top domestic women’s football league.
“It is really pleasing to have Jess join us on the Coast,” Said Mariners head coach Husband.
“I worked with her in Canberra when she first broke into the A-League and you could see her potential back then, which she is stepping up into now.
“Jess possesses so many great attributes of a fantastic centre-back and the experience that she already has at a young age will bring a lot to our squad and to our backline this season.
“We want to continue to be a place for players like Jess who want to push themselves to the next level. Jess is ambitious, and we want to help her achieve her goals with us.”
Nash is the fourth new signing confirmed by the Mariners ahead of the 2024-25 season, joining Taylor Ray, Jade Pennock and Brooke Nunn on the Central Coast.
The Mariners have signed Nash, Nunn and Pennock within the space of five days; Nunn is a two-time Women’s Super League Champion and Arsenal product, while fellow Englishwoman Pennock is a loanee from Birmingham City where, in 2022-23, the 31-year-old was named Women’s Championship Player of the Season.
Nash, who was capped by the Matildas at the age of 17, is a highly-rated member of the emerging cohort of Young Matildas who is eager to continue her development at the Mariners.
“I am so excited to be here on the Coast. It is a place that I used to visit regularly as a kid, watching games at the stadium, so to be a part of the team and community is really special,” Nash said.
“Seeing how the team played last season in their first year back in the competition, you could tell that it was an environment where everyone could thrive and that is something that I want to be a part of.
“Emily is a fantastic coach, but an even better person who cares so much for every player. She is someone that I know will be able to get the most out of me this season, to be a part of the Mariners Family is so special and I can’t wait to get started.”
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