Grace Fisk signs for Liverpool with manager Matt Beard. Photo credit: Grace Fisk via Instagram
Liverpool have announced the signing of 25 year old centre-back Grace Fisk from West Ham United. Fisk has become the club’s fifth arrival since the opening of the transfer window, following the announcements of Natasha Flint, Jenna Clark, Mia Enderby and Teagan Micah. With the Merseyside club announcing the departure of 7 players at the end of the season, including 4 defenders, it was evident that a new centre-back would be on the horizon. And with West Ham announcing Fisk was to leave the club in June, Liverpool seemed like the perfect new place to call home.
Fisk first began her football journey playing under Millwall Lionesses’ Centre of Excellence, aged just 10, and becoming the youngest player to make their debut for the senior team at 16 years old. She then jumped across the pond to play American College Soccer, starring for Penn State for a year before transferring to North Carolina Tar Heels, following the likes of Lucy Bronze and Alessia Russo. Fisk was then signed for West Ham by Liverpool’s current manager Matt Beard, where she spent three and a half seasons as a Hammer.
The defender announced her departure from the capital after last season, where West Ham won just 6 of their 22 games, finishing 8th in the WSL, below Liverpool. With manager Paul Konchesky also on his way out, Fisk decided it was time for a new challenge in her senior career and signed for Liverpool. With interest from multiple European clubs including AC Milan, her decision to choose the Merseyside club speaks volumes about the long-term plan and investment into Liverpool’s women’s side.
As a player, Grace Fisk is a technical centre-back, whose physicality and technicality has developed over time, playing against some of the best talent that the WSL has to offer. Although only 25, she is incredibly composed on the ball especially in high pressure pressing situations. Fisk will also be an asset to the attacking side of this Liverpool team, in particular making those links to players such as Shanice Van De Sanden and Fuka Nagano, bringing the passing and pace to start pieces which will stun the opposition.
Grace Fisk played every minute of the season during West Ham’s 20/21 campaign, and missed just a single game in her last season for the Hammers. For a Liverpool side that has been limited in formations and substitutions due to the amount of injuries, having a fit and reliable centre-back will be fundamental to maintain their top form across the season, and push into the top half of the table.
Liverpool had a positive season following promotion back into the WSL. Finishing a comfortable 7th, they certainly proved why they belong in the top flight. Now they’ve done that, looking forward they will be wanting to re-establish themselves as one of the top clubs in English football. This was evident with the departure of 7 players, with the club determined to bring in new, refreshing talent that would drive competition for places in the squad. So far, we’ve seen them bring in major youth talent, and Fisk is no different. Taking the number 4 from experienced defender Rhiannon Roberts is rather symbolic of Liverpool’s drive to bring in younger players to complement the senior talent that already exists within the team.
Grace Fisk will play alongside some of the most respected names in the WSL, such as Niamh Fahey and Gemma Bonner. Bonner especially having won the league twice with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014, will be passing on this winning mentality to younger and less experienced members of the team, hoping to bring Liverpool back to the top of the game.
Integrating amongst such respected players in the game and fighting for a place in the starting line-up, will also bolster Fisk’s chances of making it on the international stage. The defender has represented England since the U17s age and has received call-ups to the senior squad, but is yet to make her senior debut. Accepting the challenge of having to adapt to a new team and style of play will no doubt improve Fisk as both a player and person, giving her every fighting chance of representing her country again.
In her first interview with her new club, Fisk spoke first and foremost about wanting to be at a club where she felt happy. For her, Liverpool seemed to be that club. She explained,
“I love being part of a team, it’s one of the main reasons I play football, I love that feeling of winning together, of training together, and Beardy is really good at bringing everyone together in that. And speaking to the girls, I think Liverpool has that feeling already and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”
It’s not all brand new for the defender, who’d played under Beard at West Ham, alongside Liverpool’s top striker Leanne Kiernan, who spent three seasons in the capital before joining Liverpool. Having a few familiar faces already would have certainly made the move feel less daunting. In fact, Fisk revealed that a phone call with Matt Beard set in stone her initial move to West Ham, and his influence was once again a major factor in her move to Merseyside. Beard was certainly delighted to be working with Fisk again, citing,
“Grace is a fantastic defender. Reads the game really well, calm and composed, the great thing is she has great vision and great passing range as well… Of course, I was lucky to work with her before and it’s been great to see her progress and we’re delighted she’s chosen to come to Liverpool.”
What came across so clearly in Fisk’s interview was the importance of Liverpool’s supporters. The passion for the club was an obvious stand-out – she’ll now be part of a city that eat, sleeps and breathes football. And now not just the men’s side of Liverpool football club but the women too. For instance, the city plastered with murals now features one of star midfielder Missy Bo Kearns.
Over the last few months, Liverpool have placed their women’s team in much higher esteem, investing into the long-term success of the side by repurchasing training base Melwood to become their new state-of-the-art training facility. Fisk spoke about the fundament of having these best provisions for female athletes but equally important are the more subtle ways that the club are investing into the women’s team. For example, providing free transport to every away game means that the fans can show their support up and down the country.
Already in this transfer window, Liverpool have shown that they are starting a new era with this team- with such a their summer departures, they’ve been able to recruit some of the best young talent in the game. With Fisk one of these investments, they’ll be looking to put the squad in a good place for the years to come, and get back to their winning ways again.
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