Matilda Van Egmond on England's 'unreal facilities' and 'pleasing investment'

Emily van Egmond is beginning to look every part the Matildas superstar we all know in her first Women's Super League season at West Ham United.

She was one of the last Matildas stars to make the Women's Super League her home and like many of the NSWL imports remains on loan from former club, Orlando Pride.

As one of the biggest teams in the NWSL, Orlando will be keen to retain the services of every key player they can at the end of this loan period, however the future of those loans appears to be permanent - should the WSL clubs want them - otherwise many Matildas and US superstars will simply leave for free when their contracts expire.

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With all the talk of the 36 and counting Aussie women plying their trade in Europe, it's easy to forget that a huge amount of talented up and comers still play in the US college system.

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The Maestro herself, Ella Mastrantonio talking about replicating the skill of Andrea Pirlo's toes has to be one of the most egregious understatement of all time. However, it does give you a sense of how the former W-League and Matildas star got so damn good.

The lure of a fully professional calendar is one thing too good to pass up, but as Van Egmond illustrates, everything at one of the world's biggest clubs is proving a step up from what she's seen so far.

“The perception of women’s football in England now is that clubs are looking to invest a lot, which is really pleasing to see,” she told WHU. “The facilities are unreal and to work with (coach Matt Beard) and the team too, I’m hopeful we’ll have a successful season.”

“The league is attracting some of the best female professional footballers in the world so I’m excited to be here and ply my trade here.

“I always try to give 100 per cent and do my best. I have a winning mentality and I just want to win and do the best we can.”

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Aussie love 💙🇦🇺

A post shared by Emily Van Egmond (@emilyvanegmond10) on Sep 14, 2020 at 5:35am PDT

West Ham were the third WSL club to feature an Aussie trio (Arsenal and Bristol the others) until Jacynta Galabadaarachchi left for Napoli recently, but still host Mackenzie Arnold alongside Van Egmond.

Both have played both matches in the Hammers' campaigns so far and while the first saw Van Egmond successfully go up directly against Alanna Kennedy in West Ham's 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, the next saw the duo thrashed 9-1 by Arsenal.

It was a wake up call for West Ham, given the size of their Premier League outfit and the substantial investment that's taken place in the squad.

The entire team have moved stadiums, taking up residence at the larger, professional Dagenham & Redbridge Stadium for this season as the London club seek to take a leading role in the increasingly lucrative FAWSL landscape.

Given the club's huge financial backing and the fact their off-season spending spree means they no longer have room for the likes of Galabadaarachchi, Van Egmond sees West Ham's rise up the table as inevitable.

“It’s good to be here,” Van Egmond said. “It’s great to finally be back with a team and to get situated and settled in. “It’s always nice to have fellow Australians nearby and obviously, Mackenzie is here, so I’m excited by that.

"We’ve spoken a little bit here and there. She seems to be loving it, which is awesome. She’s said nothing but good things.

“I’ve heard only good things about this club. I’ve heard the women’s league in England is definitely on the rise and you can see that in the signings that have come here. I’m really excited to be here and I’m excited for the challenge.

“The league is only getting more and more competitive so, if we can compete with the best teams, and showcase what this club is really about, then I have no doubt we will be successful.”