Tegan Red-dy for big challenge

Pictured: Tegan Micah ready to walk out on Matildas' duty right behind captain Sam Kerr. Photo Ann Odong/Football Australia 

Tegan Micah, the former Redcliffe resident and student, will now swap Australia’s green and gold for the famous red of Liverpool.

Goalkeeper Micah has signed for the English giants and will join Matildas’ captain Sam Kerr (Chelsea) and Mary Fowler (Manchester City) in the Women’s Super League (WSL).

It is another huge step for the 25-year-old whose club career has taken her from Brisbane Roar to Sydney, Melbourne, the US, Norway, the Tokyo Olympics and 14 international caps.

The ex-Redcliffe State High School pupil was back-up to Mackenzie Arnold during the Women’s World Cup Finals, when Australia finished fourth.

But for a “major concussion” which sidelined Micah for six months this year – returning just before the World Cup - she may have pushed for a place in Matildas’ starting line-up.

However the WSL, one of the world’s top women’s leagues now awaits and after signing Micah told Liverpoolfc.com: “I’m excited to be here.

“It’s Liverpool Football Club, so it’s massive and I’m just really excited for this next chapter in my career. For me, it was also about getting into the WSL.

“I know it’s turning into the best league in the world. To be able to compete against the best players in the world is really important for myself, for my career.”

Liverpool coach Matt Beard said on liverpoolfc.com: “She’s completely different to the goalkeepers we’ve got and she’s going to be a great addition to the squad.

“We feel we’re getting Teagan at a very good time – at the peak of her career – and we’re looking forward to working with her.”

Micah was a standout as Australia reached the bronze medal play-off at the Tokyo Olympics, particularly in the 4-3 quarter-final victory over Great Britain.

It is perhaps the highlight of a career which started in regional Victoria and continued when she moved to the peninsula at the age of 10.

Micah was in the Redcliffe State High School (RSHS) Excellence in Women’s Football program, as well as representative teams Brisbane Blue and Brisbane Central.

During that time she also worked for 18 months as a waiter, barista and bartender at Pilpel By The Sea, when it was on Suttons Beach.

“Redcliffe (SHS) gave me my education and helped me massively,” Micah said.

“The school pushed me towards UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), having a good career there and kept me in the game there.

“I was always super thankful to a lot of the teachers at Redcliffe. They helped me manage my studies and soccer, as I was away a lot of the time."

Micah’s sporting resume also includes the Queensland Academy of Sport and A-League clubs Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory, Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City.

Overseas she has played for UCLA Bruins, Norwegian clubs Arna-Bjornar Fotball and Il Sandviken, and most recently FC Rosengard in Sweden.