The Guardian
·22 December 2023
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Yahoo sportsThe Guardian
·22 December 2023
The US international Kristie Mewis has joined West Ham United, calling the move “a dream come true”.
The midfielder, 32, arrives on the back of a successful spell at Gotham FC, having helped the New Jersey outfit secure their first National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) title. She brings huge experience, having made more than 170 NWSL appearances over the course of her career, winning the NWSL Challenge Cup with Houston Dash in 2020, as well as earning 53 caps for the US women‘s national. team.
“I am delighted to be joining West Ham United,” she said after the move was announced. “I have always wanted to play in the Women’s Super League and, now that everything has fallen into place, it feels like a dream come true.
“When I visited London for the first time, I went to my first football match at Upton Park. The culture and energy of West Ham captivated me straight away and nothing has ever lived up to that moment – it was one of the happiest days of my life. It feels like I have come a full circle from that moment and it’s incredible to now be officially part of the West Ham family. I will work hard, try to lead by example and give everything for this badge.”
Rehanne Skinner, the West Ham manager, was similarly pleased by Mewis’s arrival. “We are delighted to welcome Kristie to West Ham United,” she said. “Kristie brings a wealth of experience, having played across a number of different continents throughout her career and her involvement with the national team over 11 years, gaining more than 50 caps, has helped to change the landscape of women’s football across the world.“Kristie understands the vision of the West Ham United women’s team and it was clear from our first conversation that she wants to be a part of that vision. Kristie’s capabilities as a box-to-box midfielder, her energy and her leadership will be a huge asset to the team moving forwards and I’m really looking forward to working with her.”
Mewis is a three-times SheBelieves Cup winner with the USWNT and has also tasted victory in the Concacaf Women’s Championship. It will not be her first foray in European football, having spent a brief stint on loan at Bayern Munich earlier in her career.
The move comes a month after Mewis got engaged to her partner, and fellow professional, the Australia striker Sam Kerr, who plays for the WSL champions, Chelsea.