Liverpool FC and England international striker Natasha Dowie joins Melbourne Victory on a two-month guest loan stint.
This will be the 27-year-old’s first opportunity playing overseas in her senior career after spending time at English clubs Watford, Fulham, Charlton, Everton and Barnet.
She’s appeared 12 times for the Three Lionesses, scoring five goals since making her international debut in 2009.
Her stint at Liverpool has been even more fruitful, where she’s netted 45 goals in just 42 appearances for the club.
“I have always wanted the opportunity to play abroad and experience different styles of play,” Dowie said via press release.
“I’m so excited to go on loan to Melbourne Victory and help the team be successful. The chance to travel around Australia playing in the W-League is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I want to thank Dave Edmondson for approaching me.
“It will be great to work under him and, as a coach myself, learn from someone with a great deal of experience and qualifications in the women’s game.”
The signing bolsters what is already a relatively healthy forward line, with Laura Spiranovic netting in three games this season so far and her form has so far kept international Georgia Cloepfil away from the starting line-up, while young MelindaJ Barbieri for the most part has bided her time on the bench.
With winger Briar Palmer having found permanent residency in defence this season, and midfielders Jamie Pollock and Jess Pitts also spending stints through the middle, it comes as a surprise that the Victory have chosen to bolster their depth in the forward third.
This shortage of defensive options has seen the Victory ship seven goals in their last two fixtures, while failing to keep a clean sheet this season, but the imminent return of Gulcan Koca should alleviate some of the stress on the back four.
Dowie will be available for Victory’s next fixture, the away trip to Perth Glory on the 28th of November.