New Zealand international forward Hannah Blake has signed a professional contract with English FA Women’s Championship club Durham.
Blake (24) joins Durham after the end of her contract with women’s A-League club Adelaide United where she was the club’s joint leading goalscorer last season, with three goals.
Blake told Durham’s website: “It’s a bit surreal, coming from the other side of the world.
“It’s great to be here and get settled in, and I’m really excited to get going.
“I’m really excited to be playing in England. Playing in the Championship has been an aspiration of mine for a while now and I’m excited to take that next step.
“Durham is a great club and coming and meeting everyone made me sure that this is somewhere I can play good football.
“It was important to me to choose an environment where I can feel at home and seeing what the club has to offer, I know this is the place to achieve what I want to achieve.”
The deal is subject to international clearance and the approval of all paperwork, her new club said.
Durham came 9th in the 12-team Championship last season.
Blake played her youth football for Auckland’s Three Kings United before heading to the United States in 2019 where she played on a college scholarship for the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA Division 1.
After a brief stint with Perth Glory in 2023, where she scored three goals in six appearances, Blake was offered a contract with Adelaide United.
She made her Football Ferns debut in 2017, after representing New Zealand at U-17 and U-20 levels.
Blake was part of the Ferns training camp ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup but she did not make the 23-player squad selected for the tournament.
This story was first published on July 9, 2024.
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