Defender ends ‘whirlwind’ pro career
Anna Green’s professional football career is over at 28.
A longing to return to New Zealand after seven years of globetrotting was the reason for the 60-cap Football Ferns defender’s decision, which led to her signing with Capital for this year’s National Women’s League.
Her professional career started in Australia in 2011, before stints in Germany, Sweden, Japan and England, culminating in finishing fourth with Reading in the English Women’s Super League in May.
She said the Reading training environment was the most professional of her career, but it came at a time when she was already thinking about coming back to New Zealand.
‘‘For the last year I’ve been having a good think about where I’ve been wanting to be based and what direction my life is going in next.
‘‘I was in talks with Reading and I was still a bit undecided about what I wanted to do and what was the best option for both of us, whether that was re-signing or looking to go elsewhere, but then I decided I wanted to come home.’’
After making the decision, she returned to her parents’ home in Palmerston North for the first time since she moved to Auckland for football when she was 16.
She is now looking for a job as an accountant as she tries to settle in to a more normal life.
Green described her professional career as a ‘‘whirlwind’’, but one she loved. She had pertinent advice for the next generation of Kiwi women’s footballers looking to crack the professional ranks.
‘‘You just have to work hard, and I know that sounds cheap, but people do appreciate the work ethic of Kiwis and New Zealand players.
‘‘You’re expected now, if you’re a New Zealander, that you’re going to be one of the hardest working people on the team. Pride yourself on that.’’
Coupled with that hard work should be a limitless ambition, she said. ‘‘It’s about realising that being the best player in your club team isn’t enough. That shouldn’t be your aim.
‘‘Your aim should be to the best player in Wellington, the best player in New Zealand, but it doesn’t end there. It needs to be ‘I want to be the best player in my position in the world’.’’
The decision to join Capital over Central was because she knew Capital coach Emma Evans and fellow Football Fern Sarah Gregorius.
The team started with a 4-0 loss to Canterbury United last weekend in which Green said Football Fern Annalie Longo ‘‘tore us to shreds’’.
They meet Green’s home team Central in her home town of Palmerston North this weekend. ‘‘It’s exciting to be playing in Palmerston North, I haven’t played there in a long time and it will be the first time my parents have seen me play in a while. I’m a bit more nervous about it than I thought I would be.’’
Other matches see Canterbury take on WAIBOP in Christchurch, while the Northern Lights host impressive firstround winners Southern United.