Sky Blue FC Signs New Zealand Goalkeeper Erin Nayler
New Zealand goalkeeper Erin Nayler joins Sky Blue FC for the 2016 NWSL season. Nayler was the starting goalkeeper for New Zealand during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and prepares to represent the Football Ferns during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio this summer.
Soccer News: Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) made official today that the team has added New Zealand goalkeeper Erin Nayler to its roster. The Auckland native played every minute in net for the Football Ferns in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, bringing the number of Sky Blue FC participants in the tournament to five players from four different nations. The completion of the Nayler signing is pending receipt of her P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC), and terms of the deal were not disclosed, per team and league policy.
“We are delighted to finalize this deal with Erin Nayler,” said Christy Holly, Sky Blue FC head coach. “Bringing Erin to New Jersey is something we have been trying to get done for quite some time. She comes to us with plenty of international experience, including in both the World Cup and Olympics, and she will be a great addition to a very solid group of goalkeepers that we have here.”
Nayler, 24, competed in the 2010 and 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, and she was a member of the Football Ferns full roster for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup when she was just 19-years-old. Additionally, she also made the trip with the New Zealand Women’s National Team to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. Nayler officially made her debut for the full Football Ferns side in March of 2013, and she played every minute in goal for New Zealand last summer in Canada during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She is slated to resume those starting duties this summer in Brazil for the 2016 Olympic Games.
“Erin has proven consistently that she is a top international standard goalkeeper,” said Tony Readings, Football Ferns head coach. “She has worked incredibly hard in the past few years to develop her game and has helped the Football Ferns achieve some notable results on the world stage. The opportunity to play in one of the top leagues in the world will provide Erin with another challenge that will help to continue her development. Whilst Erin has performed consistently, she is still only at the start of her journey as a player, and this is an exciting next chapter for her.”
On the club level, Nayler has played for a few different squads in her native New Zealand. She most recently competed at Northern Football with current Sky Blue FC assistant coach Paul Greig, who was the head coach of that side. As team captain, Nayler backstopped Northern Football to the ASB Women’s League championship, which is the top flight league in New Zealand.
”We are excited to have Erin join the club, and we are looking forward to the impact she can make within our group, both on and off the field,” said Greig of the signing. “I had the privilege of working closely with Erin at Northern Football in 2015, where we eventually won the Grand Final and were crowned ASB Women’s League champions. Erin leading the side as captain was a major factor to our success. She will be a great asset to Sky Blue FC moving forward with her extensive international experience, and she has a fantastic work ethic and attitude, with an outstanding character to match. I am excited to welcome her to Sky Blue FC and New Jersey, and I am extremely excited to work with her again this season.”
Sky Blue FC returns home to Yurcak Field this Saturday, May 7th, hosting the Western New York Flash at 7:00 p.m.
Source/Photo Credit: Sky Blues FC
