The Central Coast Mariners are delighted to announce the signing of forward Paige Hayward for the upcoming 2023/24 A-League Women’s season.
The 28-year-old joins the club from Adelaide United, having previously also spent time playing football in the United States and Austria.
Born in Sydney, Hayward spent time in the US College System, playing with the University of Texas, before transferring to Texas Southern University.
In three seasons with the Tigers, the forward scored 25 goals, including bagging 13 goals and five assists in the 2016 campaign.
During that time, she also spent a period with the Houston Aces in the United Women’s Soccer League, while also being invited to be a part of NWSL team Houston Dash as a non-roster invitee.
Hayward moved to Austria to play for FFC Vorderland in the ÖFB-Frauenliga, scoring once in her five appearances for the club.
She then moved back to Australia to link up with Adelaide United, playing 26 matches across multiple positions in two seasons.
The 28-year-old now joins the Mariners as we enter the A-League Women’s competition for the 2023/24 season.
Head Coach Emily Husband is thrilled to have Hayward signed for the Central Coast this season, seeing her as an extremely valuable asset.
“I am extremely excited to have someone like Paige joining up with the Mariners. She has a lot of experience both in the A-League and abroad and is a quality player to have on the team,” Husband said.
“Among many things she will bring versatility to the squad. There are a few different areas where you can utilise Paige which I think will help us to be an adaptable squad in how we want to play.”
Hayward is eager to get started ahead of the upcoming A-League Women’s season, excited to be a part of the club.
“I am thrilled to be a Central Coast Mariner. To be joining a program that I can see making so much progress in the women’s space, I wanted to be a part of it,” she said.
“Emily’s style and wanting the team to have a togetherness is exactly what I want from a group. The Central Coast is such a close-knit community and club which we want to keep building on. That has impressed me the most so far, we aren’t just individuals, we are a team. The club isn’t just a business from what I can see, it is a family.”
