New Kiwi professional hopes to inspire others
For as long as she can remember, Emma Rolston has wanted to play football for a living.
‘‘I played a lot of sports when I was younger and it was always football that was my passion and it was always a case of ‘yep, football’s the thing I want to do’,’’ she said.
‘‘I went through all the reps and when you love something that much, you just know. I just wanted to play and I wanted to play professionally, and I guess going through the age group New Zealand stuff has just given me the opportunity to do it.’’
So the 21-year-old, who has played twice for the Football Ferns, is buzzing at the prospect of beginning her dream job next week, after signing a professional contract with MSV Duisburg in Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga.
Although she previously played for Sydney FC in Australia’s W-League, that was just a semi professional deal and Rolston had to find part-time work in retail and hospitality in order to make ends meet. So the chance to focus 100 per cent on her game in a fully professional environment should significantly help her development as she aims to become one of the sport’s premier strikers.
‘‘It was worth going over, like I felt like it definitely benefited me, but this is my first proper contract. It’s going to be a much harder league. When I played for Sydney in the W-League I still had to work. I had to juggle playing semi-pro, working and being in a new culture and environment,’’ she said.
‘‘In Germany they will provide my housing and they will pay me on top of that. You can’t travel halfway around the world and be living off your savings. It’s hard enough being a professional footballer [let alone] finding the time to do uni and work.
‘‘We’ve got to be able to live and afford food and everything like that, but it’s the love for the game that we do it for.
‘‘Although we know that we are probably never going to get the money the men get paid, that’s fine at the moment, and I hope we can push and push to get to that stage for women in the future. But as long as I’m able to play in some of the top leagues in the world and I’m able to afford to live, then I’m good with that.’’
Rolston will be joined in Duisburg by Football Ferns team-mate Meikayla Moore. Moore has transferred from FC Koln after they were relegated at the end of the 2017-18 season.