Arsenal star wins national award again | OneFootball

Steph Catley has been named the PFA Australia Women’s Footballer of the Year for 2025, her third time receiving the honour, capping another outstanding year for both club and country.

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The Australian full-back, who also won the award in 2020 and 2024, was recognised for her consistency, leadership, and impact during a year in which she started 32 matches across all competitions for Arsenal, including the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, where the Gunners defeated Barcelona to claim their second European crown.

Catley, now one of the most decorated and experienced players in Australian football, continues to play a central role for the Matildas, where she has now earned 139 caps, moving past Arsenal teammate Caitlin Foord into sixth place on her country’s all-time appearance list.

The award, voted for by Australia’s professional players, considers performances between June 2024 and June 2025 for Australians at home or abroad. It cements Catley’s place as one of the finest defenders of her generation, a leader both on and off the pitch, and a figure who has become integral to both Arsenal’s stability and the Matildas’ success.

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“Winning the PFA Women’s Footballer of the Year is an incredible honour, and one that is very special, particularly because it’s voted on your fellow peers,” Catley said.

“Last season was really amazing, and lifting the Champions League trophy with Arsenal was a dream come true.

“Continuing to represent the Matildas is something I will never take for granted, and I’m excited about what is ahead, especially the Women’s Asian Cup next year.

“That tournament is an exciting opportunity for us to achieve something together.”

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Speaking to The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Catley also recently addressed the return of Sam Kerr to international duty after nearly two years out with a knee injury, confirming that the Chelsea striker will resume the captaincy that Catley assumed responsibility for in her absence.

“Now she’s back, she’s stepping back into the captaincy role, as she should, and we all support her through all of that,” Catley said. “I’ll always be her number one supporter and her vice-captain, working with her to get the most out of our team.”

Catley brushed off the external debate over the armband, saying, “The way that I see it is Sam’s always been our captain. I am the vice-captain, she’s been out for two years, so naturally I stepped into the role as captain, and I’d like to think I did my job. I did exactly what I needed to do.”

She added, “Whether I’ve got the armband or not, I’ll continue to do the same thing. Sam’s our captain, and that’s always the way that it’s been.”

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Reflecting on the year ahead, Catley reiterated her ambition to help the Matildas win the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, which will be hosted on home soil next year. “I’ve represented this team and my country for many, many years, and it’s always been the most important thing to me,” she said. “So to win a major trophy with this team would mean absolutely everything.”

Catley’s third PFA award underscores the respect she commands within the game, not just as a technically gifted defender, but as a player whose professionalism and leadership have made her a standard-bearer for Australia’s golden generation.

Foord, who has yet to win the award herself, came second.