Perth Glory and Matildas striker Katie Gill has been nominated for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Player of the Year following a stellar 2010.
Gill – a WAIS-AIS scholarship holder – is one of three contenders for the crown, joining holder Homare Sawa of Japan and Jo Yun-mi of DPR Korea.
Gill says her nomination has taken her by surprise and her main focus is finishing in the top four with the Glory in this season’s Westfield W-League.
“I just think that whole year has been quite successful to the say the least and I have just really enjoyed my football this year,” she said.
“It’s all just seem to come at once and everything has just clicked and worked for me, I am just hoping to stay and the top and just keep improving.
“We would like to finish in the top four with Perth Glory and then I am heading back to Sweden in March and then obviously the World Cup and after that we have Olympic qualifiers.
“I still love the game more than ever and it’s about the learning side of things and obviously seeing those rewards from the hard work.
“Until I stop enjoying, improving and learning then I think I will be playing for quite some time.”
Gill’s form has been devastating at club level for LdB Malmo this season and her goal against Japan in the Asian Cup saw the Westfield Matildas qualify for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Matildas have been nominated for the AFC Women’s National Team of the Year, while other Australians to be recognised are Ho Sarah May Yee for the AFC Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year and Eugenie Buckley as the AFC Women’s Match Commissioner of the Year.
The striker also claimed the Golden Boot at the recent Peace Queen Cup and also for Perth Glory last season.
She has also continued her form in the 2010/11 Westfield W-League season, by bagging three goals in her two matches for Perth Glory.
The winners will be announced at Kuala Lumpur’s Sunway Hotel Resort and Spa on November 24.
– Football West
