Goal-scoring weapon Grace Jale is making an impact in the Football Ferns after a four-year pause in her international career. And breaking out of her comfort zone may help her to play in a home World Cup this year, Merryn Anderson writes.

On her days off, Grace Jale isn’t fazed by driving a five-hour round trip from Canberra to Wollongong, just to spend time on the beach.

Auckland-born and raised, and a big fan of the summer sun, it’s the only drawback Jale sees in her decision to play her football in land-locked Canberra in this season’s A-League Women’s competition. So why did she make the move across the Tasman?

“It was a change I needed because having the same coaches and players around you for years and years, I wanted a clean slate,” says the 23-year-old midfielder and forward, who was the Wellington Phoenix women’s top goalscorer in their debut season.

This is the year Jale really wants to make her mark, and cement her place in the Football Ferns to contest their home Fifa Women’s World Cup in July.

The chance to play in a senior World Cup would mean everything to Jale, who’s bounced back from a four-year absence from the New Zealand side.

“I don’t think I would have dreamed of having a World Cup at home even, I just didn’t think that would be in reach,” the Fijian-Kiwi says. “For that to be a possible opportunity, it’s a dream come true.”

Jale was the young girl who’d be in front of the TV watching football instead of doing her homework.

Having started playing football as an eager 7-year-old, she had a fairytale start to her international career. She was first called into the Football Ferns as a 16-year-old, in Year 11 at Mt Albert Grammar, in 2015.

Over the next three years, Jale played in three World Cups - once for the New Zealand Under-17s and twice for the U20 side. She finally made her debut for the Football Ferns in 2018 against Tonga in the OFC Women’s Nations Cup, scoring a goal as the Ferns won 11-0.

But after that tournament, two ankle reconstructions and concussions kept her out of contention for Football Ferns selection.

“That was a bit rough. I got a bit of FOMO just looking in from the outside,” says Jale of her four years away from the national team.

Grace Jale on the ball during the clash with the United States. Photo / Photosport

But then an unexpected opportunity - and a challenge - presented itself. Jale started her senior career at the Phoenix last season as the team spent their time in Wollongong, unable to play at home in Wellington due to lockdowns and travel restrictions.

It was a young, largely inexperienced team, with Jale one of the more experienced players at just 22.

The Phoenix won only two of their games and finished at the bottom of the table, but it’s an experience Jale is grateful for.

“It’s opened up a lot of new doors,” she says. “It was intense at times, but we kind of had nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Towards the end of the season, I started getting some goals and feeling a bit more confident.”

Making her return to the national squad was a big goal for Jale, and Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimková set her a challenge.

“Jitka was on my case while I was in the Phoenix and she was demanding goals and good performances,” Jale says. “So I had to pull through and I was lucky enough to get called in [to the Football Ferns] again.”

Jale scored six of the Phoenix’s 13 goals last season, easily becoming the side’s top goalscorer.

She knew a lot of the Phoenix players, having played with them at U17 and U20 World Cups, and had also worked with coach Gemma Lewis for years.

So at the end of the season, Jale decided to break out of her comfort zone and made the move to Canberra United.

“Canberra kind of stuck out to me - my coach Njegosh [Popovich] was really, really gunning for me which was nice,” Jale says. “I think it’s been a good change.”

Canberra currently sit fifth on the A-League Women’s table, with Jale scoring in their first two games.

“I was quite nervous coming into a new team of people I didn’t really know. But there were the big names like Grace Maher, Michelle Heyman, Ellie Brush that a lot of players would rave about and the coach would rave about too,” Jale says.

“The team was really welcoming so I fit right in quite nicely I think.”

In January, the Football Ferns played in Auckland and Wellington against the world No 1 side, the USA. The Eden Park game broke the record for the most fans at a Football Ferns match, with 12,721 people attending.

Jale says the experience of playing the world’s best at home was almost indescribable.

“We were talking before the games how we never have games in New Zealand and for it to be in Auckland, my home town and in front of a record-breaking crowd, it was amazing,” she says.

“To have my family there, my friends there, little girls that I coached, and parents and coaches from old teams, there was awesome. And to be starting against the world champions, it was incredible.”

With the two games played outside the Fifa window, club teams weren’t required to release their players for international duties, so the Ferns were without some of their key names.

They were back in the squad for the team’s three friendlies against Portugal and Argentina - potentially the last preparation before the World Cup begins in July.

Jale says having all available players back lifts the standard in camp.

“It’s more intense but it’s still lots of fun, a safe environment. Everyone’s just trying to help each other be better for the team to be better.”

She’s also grateful to have Liv Chance in the squad, one of her closest friends in the team.

“She’s a similar position to me and she’s like my guardian angel,” Jale says.

“When I first came in, I was a nervous wreck, in my little hermit crab shell. But she took me under her wing and is teaching me a lot and is always there for a chat.”

She says Rebekah Stott is also someone she can go to for advice. Roommate Indiah-Paige Riley says Jale is the “listener”, and anyone can go to her for advice.

And if it’s advice to ignore your homework and watch football instead, it might pay off like it has for Jale.