Manchester City have signed the Australia forward Mary Fowler from Montpellier, with the Women’s Super League club’s manager, Gareth Taylor, describing the 19-year-old as “one of the most exciting young talents in the game”.
Fowler, who has joined on a four-year contract, last month won Professional Footballers Australia’s young women’s footballer of the year award. A release by Football Australia marking that referred to Fowler’s “speed, tight ball control, creativity and vision”.
Fowler has spent the past two and a half seasons with Montpellier and made her international debut aged 15 in 2018. She has 24 caps and seven goals, including one against Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics, and is in line to be a major part of the team when Australia co-host the Women’s World Cup in 2023.
Taylor said: “Mary is a without doubt one of the most exciting young talents in the game right now and we’re absolutely thrilled to have her join us here at City. She has a maturity beyond her years, but for her, she’s excited to come to England to learn and grow as a player.
“The fact that she made her senior international debut at just 15 really does show what high regard she is held in by the football world and we feel as though she’ll fit right in here.”
Fowler, whose elder siblings Caoimhin and Ciara have played for the Republic of Ireland’s youth sides courtesy of their father’s heritage, said: “I’m really excited and proud to be joining this club – it’s a team that I’ve always wanted to play for, so I’m honoured to have this opportunity.
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“I really admire the team’s style of play – when City play, you see football and how beautiful it is, and you can really fall in love with the game just by watching them, both the women and the men’s teams.”
Fowler’s arrival continues City’s rebuild. The defenders Laia Aleixandri and Leila Ouahabi and the forward Deyna Castellanos have signed after the departure of key players such as Lucy Bronze, Caroline Weir and Georgia Stanway.