From boys’ football to the Ferns in a year the rapid rise of winger … – Friends of Football

By Joan Grey

Within a year, Waikato teenager Manaia Elliott has been catapulted from playing NRFL U-17 boys league for Melville United to earning her first selection to the Football Ferns.

Shes in the national squad for their two-match series against Colombia in Bogata, one of six uncapped players in the 24-player group.

Wellington Phoenix winger Elliott (18) got the call-up from Ford Football Ferns head coach Jitka Klimkov as an injury replacement for 63-cap defender Mikayla Moore.

READ MORE: Uncapped teen added to Ferns squad for two-game series against Colombia >>>>

Instead of flying home to the Phoenix womens team base in Wellington after Saturdays 2-1 A-League victory over Perth Glory at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart in Auckland, she was on a flight to South America.

Only last year, Elliott was playing in the U-17 NRFL boys league for Melville United in Hamilton.

This weekend shell be sharing the field with her Ferns idols in Colombia.

Theyre all such experienced players who Ive looked up to for so many years, Elliott says.

Main photo: Manaia Elliott playing for New Zealand at the OFC U-19 Womens Championship. Photo: Kirk Corrie / Phototek.

In July, Elliott captained the New Zealand team that won the Oceania Football Confederation U-19 Championships in Fiji, securing a spot at next years FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Last year, she led the New Zealand team at the FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup in India.

Following her experience at age group international level, Elliott signed a three-year deal with the Wellington Phoenix and has made a roaring start to the Liberty A-League.

She has played in all six matches and she scored her maiden A-League goal in the Phoenixs 2-0 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in October.

Im really enjoying being around the Phoenix girls. I just love the environment so much.

Elliotts experience travelling back and forth from Australia with the Phoenix has helped her adjust to the travel demands of international football.

The A-League trips to Australia have definitely helped me prepare for this long-haul flight to Colombia. When travelling to Australia, the change in time zone was difficult to get used to at the start.

The young winger has had to adjust to the pressure of playing A-League football in front of large crowds.

I think it all comes down to mindset. Youve just got to make sure youre in the right space and focus on your job and how you can help the team perform on the day, Elliott says.

Sometimes you just have to shut out everything else thats happening around you to be able to put your best performance forward.

To budding female footballers eyeing a similar path to Elliott, she advises: Keep working hard and just be yourself when youre playing because everyone will bring something different to football. I think its important that everyone showcases their own abilities, and thats something that makes you stand out.

The Ford Football Ferns squad is:

Mackenzie Barry (7 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand Katie Bowen (98 caps) Inter Milan, Italy Daisy Cleverley (31 caps) HB Kge, Denmark Ava Collins (11 caps) St Johns University, United States Brianna Edwards (0 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand Manaia Elliott* (0 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand Victoria Esson (20 caps) Rangers, Scotland Michaela Foster (8 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand Ally Green (5 caps) AGF, Denmark Jacqui Hand (17 caps) land United, Finland Betsy Hassett (150 caps) Stjarnan FC, Iceland Grace Jale (21 caps) Perth Glory, Australia Aniela Jensen* (0 caps) University of the Pacific, United States Katie Kitching* (0 caps) Sunderland AFC, England Anna Leat (11 caps) Aston Villa, England Ruby Nathan* (0 caps) Canberra United, Australia Grace Neville (6 caps) London City Lionesses, England Ali Riley (159 caps) Angel City, United States Indiah-Paige Riley (14 caps) PSV Vrouwen, Netherlands Paige Satchell (46 caps) London City Lionesses, England Malia Steinmetz (25 caps) FC Nordsjlland, Denmark Rebekah Stott (95 caps) Melbourne City, Australia Kate Taylor (10 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand Marisa van der Meer* (0 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand

*Debut Ford Football Ferns call-up.

Game to be played on Sunday December 3, 2023 (NZT)

Colombia v New Zealand Estadio El Campin, Bogot, Colombia, 10am (NZT)

Game to be played on Wednesday December 6, 2023

Colombia v New Zealand Estadio Metropolitano de Techo, Bogot, Colombia, 9am (NZT)

Friends of Football writer Joan Grey loves playing and writing about football. She plays football for Franklin United.

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From boys' football to the Ferns in a year the rapid rise of winger ... - Friends of Football