The first signing announced was attacker Margot Robinne.  The French woman will be playing her second top-flight season in Australia, having spent the last season with Melbourne City with whom she made five W-League appearances.  She joined City after having played several years in Australia in the NPLW Victoria.

Prior to her move to Australia Robinne had previously played in France.  She made her senior debut at age 15 and went on to play 210 games for Montigny le Bretonneux, FC Rouen and Toulouse FC, scoring 138 goals.  Some of that time was in the French Division 1.

In signing the player, Canberra have got an attacker who proved to be dangerous on a number of occasions last season with City.  Robinne in turns joins a side where she can have more of an impact, having seen limited game time last year in Melbourne.

Also important to Robinne in the decision to make the A-League Women swap was the feelings she had with regards to Canberra United:

"I really enjoyed seeing Canberra playing last year.

"I think they played some good football but also what was most important for me, they showed some good team spirit. 

"For me that is very important to have a good team environment and on the field I could feel that.  I wanted to be part of that."

Robinne also expanded about the discussions she had with head coach Vicki Linton and the expectations of fitting into the team as a veteran:

"She needs to make sure if she recruits experienced players they fit in the team, in the culture that she wanted to build.  

"We had a few conversations about what the expectations were for the younger ones, for the more experienced players.

"Actually that is what made my decision to Canberra because I think we share the same views and ideas about what she wants and I trust her in her process."

Canberra also announced the addition of a second player coming in from another A-League Women's team.  Chloe Middleton has made the change, moving to United from the Western Sydney Wanderers.  

The 25-year old midfielder was with the Wanderers for the past two seasons, having first made her debut in January 2020.  She has ten A-League Women appearances total.

Middleton has been used in a number of positions in her footballing career, seeing time as a striker, midfielder and winger.  With her in the squad, the Wanderers have added a player who has versatility.  

Speaking of this attribute, Middleton specified that while she has a preferred position playing is her priority:

"I can pretty much play anywhere but centre-back because I don't really like that. 

"I love the midfielder and I love winger.  Anywhere is good really, as long as I am playing.  

Like Robinne, Middleton echoed the desire to join Canberra due to it's positive club culture:

"Looking from the outside they have such a good environment.  I think it is something that anyone would want to be a part of.

"How well the girls did last year under Vicki really made me want to join and help get them further again this season."

NPL Victoria player Holly Caspers was also signed this week.  She joins Canberra from Sydney University Football Club, having played in the NPLW1 since 2012.  While Caspers is new to the A-League Women, she is not knew to some of her teammates and opponents.

"At Sydney Uni being surrounded by so many W-League players it is definitely a great environment  to push myself and have grown as a player.

"It probably is what made W-League seem a little more achievable, that I was playing with W-League players and I was getting to know how they played and how they trained."

She went on to say about the new soccer career step:

"At the age of 21 I have been able to develop as a player myself through going through the NPL.

"I am definitely ready to push into those W-League facilities.  It will be a really important aspect in my soccer career just to develop further as a player. 

"In general I think I am definitely ready and really excited to jump into it."

Caspers has played as a winger and a striker during her NPL career, stating that the wing position is her preferred place to play.

Canberra United currently have Michelle Heyman, Emma Ilijoski, Laura Hughes, Allira Toby, Grace Maher, Keeley Richards, Hayley Taylor-Young, Lauren Keir, Margot Robinne, Holly Caspers and Chloe Middleton signed for the 2021-22 season.

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