West Ham United women made their sixth signing of the summer on Friday afternoon as it was announced that New Zealand goalkeeper Anna Leat had joined the Club.
The 20-year-old Kiwi has made the move to east London fresh off the back of appearing for her country at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
At such a tender age, Leat believes that the experience will be invaluable ahead of her first season in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League (WSL).
She told whufc.com: “It was a crazy experience going out to Tokyo. An Olympic Games is something that is totally like no other tournament, and we were able to spend a week in the village so that experience was like nothing I’ve ever had.
“We had a challenging group, and we knew that going into the tournament, but the team came together and did what we could in the time that we had. I think there were a lot of positives that we can take away as a group.
“It was a big learning experience for me that I can take under my belt with me, and will hopefully help with the transition of moving into the WSL.”
A charismatic and bubbly character, Leat will join an already strong goalkeeping department headed up by goalkeeping coach, Billy Stewart, who is delighted to welcome Anna to the team.
“It’s a pleasure to have Anna join the team here at West Ham United. She’s represented her country in the Olympics in Tokyo and she will be a real asset to our ‘keeping department and the team as a whole,” Stewart said.
This season will be Leat’s first taste of professional football, having spent time over in America playing at Georgetown University, as well at home with the East Coast Bays.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Leat has been working with the Football Ferns Development Programme, a domestic initiative that aims to mimic a professional environment to help players improve, with the aim of fast tracking them out of New Zealand and into professional clubs.
The programme has evidently benefited the Arrowtown native, who is excited at the prospect of representing the Hammers in the WSL.
“I’m trying to take each day as it comes because this is such a great learning opportunity, but the prospect of playing in this division and getting some minutes under my belt is so exciting," she smiled.
"The calibre of player that I’m able to train with day in, day out, and then the level of opposition that I will be up against, is staggering. I can’t wait to get going and I know I’m going to learn so much.”
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