The Matildas all-time leading goals corer Kate Gill has retired from football after 11 years with the Australian women's national team.
The Matildas all-time leading goals corer Kate Gill has retired from football after 11 years with the Australian women's national team.
In keeping with her softly spoken nature, Gill's retirement has been under the radar with confirmation only coming in the last week.
In a familiar trend, the players from a golden generation are slowly fading in the history book. However, the quietness of Gill's retirement belies the long list of achievements for Australia first ever AFC Player of the Year.
Since earning her first international cap in 2004, Gill has played 83 internationals for Australia scoring 40 goals, surpassing Cheryl Salisbury's record of 37 goals.
The Hunter Valley raised Gill first came onto the national scene in the early 2000s and represented Australia at youth level at the 2002 FIFA Women’s U20 World Cup.
At senior level she represented Australia at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2008, 2010 and 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
A part of the winning 2010 Asian Cup team, Gill famously volleyed Australia into the final in a tough encounter against Japan in the semi-finals. Gill also converted her penalty in assisting Australia to their first major trophy in Asia.

The forward then continued her goalscoring form in the 2010 Peace Queen Cup as she led Australia to silver in the tournament and finished up the tournament Golden Boot.
A stellar 2010 saw her become the first Australian women crowned the AFC Women's Player of the Year ahead of Japanese legend Homare Sawa.
With the highs also came career blows with Gill missing out on the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup following an ACL injury two months prior to the tournament and in 2015 she was last player cut from the 23 player squad ahead of the 2015 Women's World Cup.
At club level, Gill's W-League seasons with the Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory saw her participate in 3 finals series, twice named the league Golden Boot and claiming the Season 7 premiership with Glory.
https://twitter.com/TheWomensGame/status/541490060604887040
Internationally the 30 year old played three seasons in the highly rated Swedish league lining up for AIK Fotboll Dam, Sunnanå SK, LdB Malmö (now FC Rosengård) and Linköping FC. Gill also claimed the Swedish league title with Malmö in that momentous 2010.
Off the pitch she was the AFC Goodwill Ambassador helping to raise awareness and fight hunger for the AFC in UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Earlier this year Gill also became the first women voted onto the Professional Footballers Australia's Executive Committee as a representative for the interests of women's football.
Kate Gill will be looking to utilise her Bachelor of Psychology in retirement following a storied football career and is currently the Player Relations Executive at Professional Footballers Australia.
Related Articles

Column: Cinderella Ko scripting her own epilogue

'Timing not right': Montemurro's verdict on Matildas vacancy
.jpg&h=172&w=306&c=1&s=1)