Sara Eggesvik is ready to set the Liberty A-League Women alight and said she has been given all the insight she needs from some Western United icons past and present.
The 27-year-old has come into contact with a number of Green and Black representatives in the Philippines women’s national team – Mark Torcaso and Andrew Durante as coach and assistant coach respectively as well as teammates Jaclyn Sawicki and Angie Beard.
Ahead of making the move over to Ironbark Fields, Eggesvik said she has heard rave reviews of the Club from her Philippines colleagues.
“They have been very supportive of coming to Australia. They said it has a good level. Obviously having Mark and Andrew as coaches and Jackie and Angie have played at Western,” she said.
“I’ve only heard good things about the club and the way they play – it’s an exciting way of playing football and something I hope I can contribute to.”
As part of the national team, Eggesvik has had exposure to Australian football already having played a round of Olympic qualifiers in Perth last year, including a game against the Matildas.
While the result wasn’t in the Pilipinas’ favour, Eggesvik noted the raucous support and the booming popularity of women’s football in Australia as a major factor that drew her to the Liberty A-League Women.
The highlight of the talented midfielder’s career has undoubtedly been starring at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, though.
An athletic, composed and silky presence in midfield, Eggesvik started all three matches in the Philippines’ debut tournament and provided an historic assist for the nation’s first ever World Cup goal in a 1-0 win over host nation New Zealand.
With that moment etched in her mind forever, Eggesvik reminisced on a life-changing time in her career.
“It was an amazing experience, something that I will remember my whole life. I feel so honoured to be part of the Philippines,” she said.
“It was almost overwhelming, all the support that we got, and that we did better than we expected. To get that goal and that win, it was just a really, really nice experience.
Sometimes when someone posts clips of that goal, it just makes me smile and think about what we achieved as a team from where we started.
While she still at such a young age, Eggesvik’s career is now beyond 10 years old and alongside her international experience comes pedigree from some top footballing nations in Europe.
Eggesvik describes herself as a “box-to-box” player and someone who is “smart with the ball”, relishing being in possession and advancing her team up the pitch.
Given her Norwegian heritage, it was in her hometown where Eggesvik made her professional debut as a 17-year-old with Grand Bodo before she joined Charlton Athletic in the FA Women’s Championship.
Returning to Norway after the COVID-19 pandemic, Eggesvik has chalked up over 150 professional appearances in top divisions and has fought against some world powerhouses including Arsenal and Manchester United.
All that has culminated in the player and person that the Philippines star has become today as she prepares to embark a new journey at Western United.
“I learned a lot from moving abroad, the culture in England, seeing football in a different style and being away from my family,” she said.
“I feel like I learned a lot from playing against such good teams and players, seeing where the level is at. It’s very motivating to see such good players that you can look up to, it’s very inspiring for sure.”
Sara Eggesvik is eager for success at Western United
Eggesvik’s next goal will be to bring success to Western United in the Liberty A-League, something she is fully aware of having kept an eye on the team over the past two years.
“I hope to help the team reach their goals, keep pushing for that Grand Final spot and be a good asset to the team both on and off the field. I have some experience that I think the team would have use for,” she said.
“They’ve also had a really good two years in the A-League, so I would like to keep that up this year, too.”
Pre-season training will kick off for Western United in the coming weeks as Eggesvik prepares to meet her new teammates at Ironbark Fields and make good on that ambition for success.
