Wellington Phoenix have brought New Zealand international forward Grace Jale back to the club where her Liberty A-League career started.
Jale has signed on for the 2024-25 season in Wellington after two years away with A-Leagues rivals Canberra United and Perth Glory.
The 34-time Football Fern star – who featured at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris – returns to the Phoenix, where she was the top goalscorer in the club’s maiden Liberty A-League campaign in 2021-22.
Jale said she is back in Wellington to win a Championship.
“Now that I’ve experienced a World Cup and an Olympics I think I’m ready to thrive and take the league by storm,” Jale said, with the Phoenix eyeing their maiden Finals Series.
“I hope to be up there scoring lots of goals and setting up goals, and just doing my best for
the team.
“It’s finals at minimum but I’m hoping to win the league with the Phoenix. That’s the plan.
“The core group of players that have already signed are really good and I think Paul (Temple) is definitely capable of coaching a winning team.”
After scoring six goals for the Phoenix in 2021-22, she found the back of the net on three occasions at Canberra the following season and added a further three goals for Perth last term.
“I went to Canberra for a season and I went to Perth for a season, and I missed the Phoenix,” she continued. “It was nice to come up against the Nix over the past two years and see how much they’ve developed and see their set-up in Wellington.
“The facilities, the coaching staff and everything has gone about a thousand steps upwards from Wollongong.
“I missed being at home, having the home crowd and representing New Zealand in an Australian league.”
“I was really grateful to be able to spend some time there, work with Paul and all of the
Wellington staff and get to use the facilities,” added Jale, who spoke about spending time with Phoenix head coach Paul Temple at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) while preparing for the Olympics.
“I enjoyed my time and it was a kind of a no brainer to sign with the Phoenix after that because I fell in love with the place.
“Paul sold it to me and Wellington sold it to me so I’m really excited to be coming back.”
Jale is the 16th player confirmed in Phoenix’s Liberty A-League side for the upcoming season.
Carolina Vilão, Olivia Fergusson, Aimee Danieli (scholarship contract), Ella McMillan (scholarship contract), Ela Jerez (scholarship contract) and Ella McCann (scholarship contract) have signed, while Rebecca Lake, Emma Main, Tiana Jaber, Alyssa Whinham, Olivia Ingham and Daisy Brazendale have re-signed.
“Grace is a player who I’ve been keen on bringing back to the Phoenix for a while now,”
Temple said.
“I remember seeing her play as a youngster in Auckland and I’ve always kept an eye on her development and progression.
“So I’m delighted she has chosen to come back to the Phoenix and we finally get to work together.
“I think Grace is ready to put in consistently strong performances and kick on to the next
level.
“Her performances for the Ferns at international level have shown that she has exciting qualities as an attacking player.
“I think with the way we want to play football she will suit the style of play and we’ll be able to bring out her qualities consistently in games.”
