Record-breaking Football Fern Ria Percival has become a free agent after her release from English club Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs have confirmed midfielder/full-back Percival (34) is one of seven players who will leave the London club.
Percival had signed a contract extension with Spurs in January 2023, which was to run till June 2025.
The 166-cap retired Fern made 70 appearances in her five years at the Women’s Super League club.
Main photo: Ria Percival … leaving London club Spurs.
Percival has already indicated she would be keen to join Crystal Palace, who have won promotion to the WSL, as she played 11 games on loan to the club during their promotion charge.
In May, she told Standard Sport: “I’ve felt since two weeks of being here that I would love to stay. I feel it has become a home.
“There aren’t many teams where you will settle so quickly.”
READ MORE: Ria Percival keen to transfer to newly-promoted English club Crystal Palace >>>>
Percival leaves Spurs with Shelina Zadorsky, Ramona Petzelberger, Ellie Brazil, Asmita Ale, Gracie Pearse, and Nikola Karczewska.
Zadorsky is a 100-cap Canadian international, while Karczewska represents Poland.
Percival announced her retirement from international competition in April 2024, after 166 appearances for the Football Ferns, more than any other female or male player in New Zealand football history.
READ MORE: Ria Percival calls end to her international career after 166 games for Ferns >>>>
Percival appeared at four Olympic Games and five FIFA Women’s World Cups, playing her last game for the Ferns as part of the home tournament in 2023.
As a teenager, Percival won a league and cup double with Auckland club Lynn-Avon United, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the MVP award in the final of the National Knockout Cup (now Kate Sheppard Cup).
She became the first New Zealander to play in the Football Association’s Challenge (FA Cup) Cup final in 2019 with West Ham United.
Her professional career has taken her to clubs including F.C Indiana in the United States, Ottawa Fury in Canada, FFC Frankfurt and FF USV Jena, before moving to England, where she’s played for West Ham, Spurs and Crystal Palace.
More football stories
