Grace Maher's 360: Giants to Iceland and back again

Grace Maher has had a rather peculiar few years to end up back where it all began, at Canberra United for the upcoming W-League season.

Throughout spells at Australian giants Melbourne Victory, the Young Matildas and Icelandic champions KR, Canberra never quite left Maher's heart.

Her breakout spell at the club between 2015 and 2018 never was far from the minds of W-League fans either, who remember her as one of the standout talents the competition has ever produced at such a young age.

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Now at just 21, she completes a full career circle...yet with so much more still to come.

"Two years ago I moved to Victory because I really wanted to see what it was like moving away from home and testing myself in a different environment," Maher told Canberra.

"I had my fair share of success with Victory and overseas in Iceland.

"This will be my seventh year in the Westfield W-League, so this season, in what will be a quite a young W-League, I'm just looking forward to using my knowledge as a player and the leadership qualities I have. I am hoping to help the club return to that top four spot."

Maher is one of the most promising emerging talents in Australian football, who - as credit to the remarkably young ages Matildas candidates arise - has been emerging since her first national call up in 2017 before the Algarve Cup.

A senior debut was never forthcoming, but that hasn't stopped Maher having quite the journey in the meantime.

Iceland - specifically KR - has helped spawn the careers of W-League stars before and after - Maher herself was inspiration to the likes of Laura Hughes and Angela Beard - and now she seeks to follow in the steps of Jenna McCormick to return from the northernmost nation to a Matildas call up.

Key to the exposure required will be her role within the Canberra squad, which will seek to essentially build around her experience, and their new coach Vicki Linton, who brings a pedigree of developing players for national teams from her time with the greatest of all, the USA.

"I am looking forward to working with Vicki, who is the highest qualified female coach in Australia," Maher shared.

"I met Vicki in the early days of my Canberra career when I was playing with the Junior Matildas and she was the assistant coach.

"It has almost come full circle. I am back at my home club, with a coach that I have had in the past, so I am really looking forward to working under Vicki.

"I am excited to be a part of the club and I think Canberra fans have a lot to be excited about as well."