Sydney FC have lured a CommBank Matildas star back to the club, signing Kyah Simon for the upcoming 2024-25 Ninja A-League season.
Simon returns to the two-time reigning champions for a third stint following seven years away from the Harbour City, having called Central Coast Mariners home last season.
The 111-time Australia international forward, who spent time abroad at Houston Dash, Dutch giants PSV and Women’s Super League (WSL) outfit Tottenham before returning to Australia and Gosford in 2023, is a two-time Ninja A-League Championship winner with Sydney.
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Simon won both of her Championships (2009 and 2013) in her first spell at the Sky Blues, while she also claimed two Premierships before leaving in 2013. The 33-year-old returned to Sydney in 2014 and spent a further three years at the club before joining rivals Melbourne City.
“I’ve always felt a deep connection with Sydney FC, winning is in the club’s DNA and is one of the main reasons for me returning,” said Simon, whose arrival completes the team’s 2024-25 squad.
“I’m excited to contribute to what is already a strong team.
“It’s quite nostalgic being back in Sky Blue and I’m looking forward to our season getting underway.”
“I believe this is an opportunity to continue to drive the success of this team on and off the pitch, and to inspire our future generations to go after their dreams and see where it can take them,” she added.
“It’s up to us as players, the Sydney supporters and sports loving public to keep the momentum going by showing up week in week out.”
Last season was a homecoming for Simon, who re-joined the Mariners, where she made her A-Leagues debut during the inaugural 2008-09 campaign.
The 2010-11 Julie Dolan Medallist featured in 12 matches for the Mariners after Central Coast returned to the competition, and she scored three goals while supplying an assist having made her comeback from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Central Coast reached the Semi-Finals before falling to eventual champions Sydney, while Simon featured in the A-Leagues All Stars Women’s match against WSL giants Arsenal in May.
Simon is the seventh new face at Ante Juric’s Sydney, joining Millie Farrow, Amber Luchtmeijer, Brianna Edwards, Hana Lowry, Faye Bryson and Rubi Sullivan.
The Sky Blues, who are also eyeing a three-peat, have re-signed Mackenzie Hawkesby, Kirsty Fenton, Jordan Thompson, Shea Connors and Lucy Johnson.
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“Kyah is one of Australia’s finest footballers, and bringing her back to Sydney FC is a huge boost for us,” Juric said.
“She made her name here, and her experience and leadership will be invaluable to the team this season.
“She knows what it means to wear this badge, and her passion for the game will lift everyone around her.
“We’re at a pivotal time for women’s football in Australia. The World Cup showed how much potential this sport has, and it’s up to us – players, coaches, and fans – to keep driving it forward.
“Kyah’s signing will help do that and we need the Sydney public to get behind this team and keep showing their support for women’s football.”
