A-League football: Wellington Phoenix women’s star Chloe Knott takes hiatus

In a surprising move, the Wellington Phoenix have announced the release of midfielder Chloe Knott from the remainder of her contract.

The experienced player, 27, who has yet to miss a match in the Phoenix women’s team since the side’s establishment in 2021, made the decision to temporarily step away from her professional career, citing the challenges of balancing a fulltime job and part-time A-League commitments.

“The decision to leave the team has been the toughest one I’ve ever had to make and is not something I have taken lightly,” Knott said. “I feel lucky for all the lessons and experiences I have had over the past three seasons, and mostly for the connections and friendships I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

Despite her outstanding contributions on the field, including a match-winning goal against Perth Glory in Auckland on Saturday night, Knott felt that the joy of being in the Phoenix environment was no longer outweighing the financial pressures she was facing.

“I’m at a stage in my life where I feel free and empowered to choose the spaces that are most conducive to my personal fulfilment and becoming the person I want to be.”

During her tenure, Knott not only showcased her skills on the field, scoring five goals in 38 matches, but also emerged as one of Wellington’s leaders. She took on the role of leading the team for a significant part of the 2022-23 season in the absence of the injured club captain Lily Alfeld and was named one of the team’s vice-captains under new head coach Paul Temple.

Temple expressed his gratitude for Knott’s contributions, saying: “I want to thank Chloe for the fantastic service she’s given this team and the club. Her attitude and commitment have always been incredibly professional. She’s an amazing person, and we will certainly miss having her presence around the training ground.”

While losing a player of Knott’s calibre is undoubtedly disappointing for the Phoenix, Temple emphasised the importance of respecting her decision and supporting her in finding a better work-life balance. He also noted the fitting conclusion to her tenure, with Knott scoring the winning goal in her hometown on Saturday night.

With Knott’s departure, the Wellington Phoenix coaching staff are now actively exploring potential replacements, particularly with midfielder Grace Wisnewski sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury. The squad’s depth will be put to the test as they seek to maintain their competitive edge in the A-League.

On Saturday, a week after their three-match winning run ended in defeat, the Wellington Phoenix women responded in impressive fashion with a comeback 2-1 win over the Perth Glory in Auckland. Perth were top of the league coming into the match but were outplayed by a sharp, committed home side.