Football Ferns skipper joins Chelsea

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SUPER LEAGUE SIGNING: New Zealand women's football captain Hayley Moorwood in action at the women's World Cup.

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New Zealand women's football captain Hayley Moorwood has signed a one-year deal with English giants Chelsea and will play in next year's Super League championship.

The new Football Association-backed Super League launches in March as an eight-team professional league, superseding the FA Women's Premier League as the top women's competition in England.

Chelsea finished third to Arsenal and Everton in the final two seasons of the Premier League, missing out on a place in the 2011 UEFA Women's Champions League by a solitary point in the 2009/10 domestic season.

Moorwood opted for Chelsea despite interest from London rivals Arsenal and now hopes to help the Blues break into the top two.

"Joining a club like Chelsea is an exciting move at an exciting time for women's football in England and back home," Moorwood said.

"The concentration of top English and international talent will make the new Super League a tough competition but hopefully we can mount a challenge for the title and qualify for the 2012 Champions League."

The 51-cap midfielder takes the number of Football Ferns playing professionally overseas to four with German-based VfL Wolfsburg defender Rebecca Smith joined by Ali Riley (FC Gold Prise, USA) and Kirsty Yallop (Kristianstads DFF, Sweden) this year.

"Over the last few years the Ferns have been to a World Cup, the Olympics and other international tournaments and our age group teams are also on the world stage so overseas clubs are seeing our players mixing it with the best players in the world and recognising what we are capable of," Moorwood said.

Football Ferns coach John Herdman expected the number of his players signing professional contacts to increase in line with the rise in number and sustainability of women's professional leagues around the World.

"There are more and more opportunities for our talented players," he said.

"The chances for university scholarships in the USA and international travel are still there and our New Zealand-based players are Sparc-carded athletes but now aspiring young female footballers can look to the likes of Riley, Smith, Yallop and Moorwood being paid to play the game they love as examples of the possibilities."

Moorwood has already begun training with her new team at Chelsea's Cobham-based training grounds - the same facility used by the men's team - but is expected to return to New Zealand in late September to lead the Football Ferns as they attempt to qualify for the 2011 women's World Cup in Germany via the eight-nation OFC women's Nations Cup at North Harbour Stadium from September 29 to October 8.

- NZPA