Melbourne City FC is delighted to announce that defender Emma Checker has re-signed with the club for the 2020/21 Westfield W-League season.
The central defender joined the club last season and appeared in all of City’s fixtures, including the Grand Final win where she helped the team keep a clean sheet.
Checker has made five appearances for the Westfield Matildas, most recently in a pair of friendlies against Chile last year.
She has made 92 appearances in the W-League, and since debuting for Adelaide United as a 15-year-old in 2011, Checker has established herself as one of the competition’s most reliable defenders.
She most recently played for French top flight club FC Fleury 91 but has now returned to Australia after suffering a stress fracture in her fibula.
Melbourne City FC Football Director Michael Petrillo said:
“To be able to have Emma back with us for the next season is a huge bonus.
“She became one of the real leaders in our team last season and will be able to pass on her knowledge of our game style and help keep some consistency within the playing group.
“Emma has developed into one of the elite Australian defenders and I’m sure she will continue to develop further this season.”
Emma Checker said:
“It was an easy decision to return, I loved my time here last year for a number of reasons.
“Obviously a big reason being we were extremely successful but on top of that I just loved being a part of such a special club with incredible resources, coaching and a great group of girls. It’s a really ambitious club and I wanted to be a part of it again.
“I’m looking forward to a different challenge this season, it’s going to be a very different looking season obviously with a lot of the national team girls playing over in Europe and in different countries.
“I think it’s going to be an exciting change and obviously there’s a number of gaps to fill, especially in the group at City. It’s going to be a very different looking squad compared to last season but with that challenge comes excitement in the sense that we keep our standards high and we continue to raise the bar.
“It’s a massive focus for me to look after my younger teammates and help them out. I look back to when I was one of the younger players and having those older experienced girls to guide you and be a part of your growth and learning is absolutely vital.”
