Emily van Egmond is set to be unleashed against Melbourne City at No.2 Sportsground on Sunday after the Newcastle Jets signed the home-grown Matildas star to a guest stint.
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Van Egmond, whose dad Gary coaches the Jets women, plays for San Diego in the United States but returned to Newcastle last week following Wave's semi-final exit in the National Women's Soccer League.
The club have been in deep contract talks with the 30-year-old midfielder and were sweating on paperwork to have her ready to take the field this weekend.
The star signing announcement will provide a huge boost as Newcastle look to bounce back from a shock 4-0 loss to Melbourne Victory in Melbourne last weekend.
Second-placed City are unbeaten on 10 points after four starts while the Jets, on four points, are caught in a three-way tussle for sixth position with Central Coast and Western United.
Van Egmond is one of the Matildas' most experienced players with 137 caps for her country and overcame a debilitating back injury to play a pivotal role for Australia at this year's World Cup on home soil.
After her efforts with the Matildas at the World Cup, where Australia reached the semi-finals for the first time and attracted sell-out crowds and millions of television viewers, van Egmond received the keys to the city of Newcastle.
The Dudley Redhead United Football Club junior debuted for the Jets as a 15-year-old in 2008 and still holds the record as the club's youngest player to take the field in A-League.
Appearances at four World Cups and two Olympics have followed, and she has her sights set on the Paris Games next year should the Matildas qualify.
Van Egmond has had 59 outings for the Jets across several seasons and last represented her home-town team during a guest stint in 2021-22.
The Newcastle Herald understands the club are also in talks with striker Sarina Bolden, who famously scored The Philippines' first World Cup goal this year in a 1-0 win against New Zealand.
The round-five match is just the second appearance at home so far this season for Newcastle and their first outing at No.2 Sportsground after playing a club double-header at McDonald Jones Stadium in round three.
The match kicks off at 4pm.
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Renee Valentine
Renee Valentine is a sports journalist with more than 20 years of experience in Newcastle. She is passionate about increasing the visibility of sportswomen in the media. Got a sports story, email Renee at r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au
Renee Valentine is a sports journalist with more than 20 years of experience in Newcastle. She is passionate about increasing the visibility of sportswomen in the media. Got a sports story, email Renee at r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au
