The long and winding road of professional football has taken another turn for Abby Erceg.
After a brief stop-off in Auckland to play against Chelsea, Erceg, the first New Zealander to clock up 100 senior international caps, is joining the Wellington Phoenix on a one-year-deal.
The 36-year-old centre back will be reunited with the Phoenix head coach, Bev Priestman, who is looking to take her side one step further in 2027, after their A-League grand final defeat to Melbourne City in May this year.
“I’ve worked under Bev before when I was with the national team,” says Erceg, who will officially join the Phoenix on September 1.
“She’s done great things. I never really expected that we’d see a New Zealand team doing so well, so quickly in the A-League. Her standards are going to be really, really high. and that was shown in their game last year with them getting to the final. I think they’re just missing that final step, and they just need a little bit of experience, which is hopefully what I can bring to the team.”
Erceg’s experience is extensive. As part of being the fourth most capped Football Fern (146 appearances), she’s represented New Zealand at four Olympic Games and four World Cups. Her club career has seen her play more than 200 matches in the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States, where she captained three championship winning teams.
She has also played in Australia, Germany, and most recently, for the Toluca club in Mexico.
“My contract ended in Mexico, and it just seemed like the right time to come home. I thought about signing for the Phoenix a couple of years ago, and it just didn’t work out with timings and things like that,” Erceg says.
“I had a conversation with Bev before coming back from Mexico, and both of our plans fitted in with each other really nicely and when that happens, it just felt like a good move. After missing a lot of time at home, I thought it was time to come to New Zealand and give back to the game a little bit here,” she says.
Erceg was part of the Auckland FC Invitational side last weekend that took on Chelsea in front of an impressive 15,441 spectators at Eden Park, and got the chance to line up in defence alongside her new Phoenix team-mate Mackenzie Barry.
“I really enjoyed playing with Mac. She’s been a big feature for the Phoenix, so I was excited to see how she went and how she was going to perform, and I think we got on well, so it was good to get a little pre-introduction prior to the season.”
“I didn’t know her before I came over, and I’d heard really good things. I think athletically she’s great. She’s got the physique that you need to compete at that kind of level and then I think as her experience comes into play a little bit later, her leadership, tactical awareness and technical prowess are going to develop, so I’m looking forward to seeing how she goes this season as well.”
Although the invitational side lost 7-0 against a world-class Chelsea side, Erceg knows the result needs perspective and is quick to highlight the positives of such a fixture coming to Aotearoa.
“You can’t really throw together a team in a week and play the best team in the world and expect that you’re going to get a result out of it score-wise. I think on the other side of that, it’s good that we got the exposure. The young girls and boys that came out to watch, there were a lot of them, and a 15,000 crowd was phenomenal for women’s football in New Zealand. For them to come out and see all their idols and stuff like that was really nice. It was great to see how excited they were and get a little bit of hype around the women’s game.”
Erceg’s experience has shown her, first-hand, just how much the women’s game is growing globally, and she sees an opportunity for New Zealand to capitalise on the progress that’s already well underway here.
“Being able to get Chelsea over, that’s the kind of example we want to set in New Zealand and really exemplify where women’s soccer is sitting in the world. It’s good for us to see that because I think sometimes, we get a little bit lost down here on our own world and in the A-League, and we don’t really realise how big the game is. Even in America and Mexico, you’re getting crowds of 60,000 people every week. It’s quite phenomenal how fast the growth has been in the women’s game.”
Although Erceg has signed a one-year contract, for her, it’s just a realistic acknowledgement of the fact she is closer to the end of her career than the start, but she hopes there’s plenty more years in store before she hangs up her boots.
“You never know at this age what’s going to happen with your body, so I think it’s in the best interests for me and the club given my age. I feel great. I don’t feel like I’m restricted in any way physically, but it’s just a precaution that you take as you get into the latter stages of your career, and it’s completely normal. But you know, if I could sign for them for another two or three years, and my body still feels really great, I’d love to do that.”
Erceg wants to be involved in the game for as long as possible, but she’s not sure if that will see her take up coaching when her playing days are finished.
“I’m not sure coaching is really for me. I do really enjoy teaching girls and handing off as much of my experience as possible, but I’m not sure I want to be the person taking on all the stress of running a team. I could look at things like academies and camps and really specialist coaching, but I don’t think I’d ever take on a team at this point.”
Erceg says that anyone who follows her on social media or has followed her career will recognise she’s invested and interested in the fitness side of the game, and that’s what’s helped the longevity of her playing days so far. It could also be something she pursues when she does eventually finish playing.
“How strong and fit I am and how I’ve been able to maintain my body, that’s always been a big interest to me. I’ve done personal training and I’ve had my certifications in that. I’ve also got my psychology degree, so I could go into something to do with psychology or sports.
“I haven’t really thought too much about what I’m going to do specifically yet. I’m just getting back home and enjoying the time and seeing what the scene looks like here, and I’ll go from there.”
As well as Erceg, the Phoenix have been busy on the recruitment front, with decorated Australian midfielder Tameka Yallop signing. Yallop has made 136 senior appearances for the Matildas, and in the A-League has made the second most appearances and has scored the second most goals in the competition’s history. She’s also led the Brisbane Roar to their two championship titles. As the Phoenix squad continues to take shape, Erceg is excited by what the team might be able to achieve this season and beyond.
“I know the girls want to take the game that they had last year one step further and win that title, so I really want to help them do that, and hopefully bring more attention to the game than we already have.”
“I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait to start.”
