| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Grace Joana Ella Jale | ||
| Date of birth | (1999-04-10) 10 April 1999 (age 25) | ||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Wellington Phoenix | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 6 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2022 | Wellington Phoenix | 12 | (6) |
| 2022–2023 | Canberra United | 17 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | Perth Glory | 19 | (3) |
| 2024– | Wellington Phoenix | 5 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2016 | New Zealand U-17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2016 | New Zealand U-20 | 6 | (0) |
| 2018– | New Zealand | 31 | (9) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 September 2024 | |||
Grace Joana Ella Jale (born 10 April 1999) is an association football midfielder who plays for Wellington Phoenix and the New Zealand women's national football team. She has previously played for Perth Glory and Canberra United.
Early life
Born and raised in Auckland to a Fijian father and New Zealand mother, Jale started playing football (soccer) at age 7. She attended Mt Albert Grammar School where she helped the team to a national First XI championship. She also played for the Eastern Suburbs premier women's team. During her first year playing for the Bay Olympic Club Team, she was named Player of the Year and was awarded a Variety Gold Heart Scholarship.
Club career
In August 2018, Jale was offered a contract with Czech first-division club AC Sparta Praha, but opted to attend and play for Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the United States.
On 19 October 2021 Jale signed with the newly formed Wellington Phoenix team to play in their inaugural season of the 2021–22 A-League Women league.
In July 2022, following a successful season with Wellington Phoenix, Jale joined for Australian A-League Women club Canberra United on a two-year contract.
In August 2023, Jale was signed by A-League Women club Perth Glory. At the end of the season she departed the club.
In August 2024, Jale returned to Wellington Phoenix.
International career
Jale made her debut for the senior national team and scored her first international goal during a match against Tonga at the 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup. She previously represented New Zealand on the under-17 and under-20 national teams. She competed at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan and 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea.
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
In June 2023, Jale was selected as part of the 23 player Football Ferns squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which was co-hosted in Australia and New Zealand. She played two matches in the group stage.
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19 November 2018 | Stade Numa-Daly Magenta, Nouméa, New Caledonia |  Tonga |
11–0 | 11–0 | 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup |
| 2. | 22 November 2018 |  Cook Islands |
6–0 | 6–0 | ||
| 3. | 7 February 2024 | FFS Football Stadium, Apia, Samoa | Tonga |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2024 OFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 4. | 3–0 | |||||
| 5. | 16 February 2024 |  Fiji |
3–0 | 7–1 | ||
| 6. | 6–0 | |||||
| 7. | 7–0 | |||||
| 8. | 19 February 2024 |  Solomon Islands |
4–0 | 11–1 | ||
| 9. | 8–1 |
References
- "List of Players - 2018 FIFA Women's U20 World Cup" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ "Grace Jale relishing senior debut tournament". WN.com. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- "Football Fern's Grace Jale looking for more game time in Noumea". OFC Football. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Exams first for schoolgirl star". New Zealand Herald. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- "Grace Jale offered European football contract". Mount Albert Grammar School. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- "Da Luz Welcomes Seven on Signing Day". Wake Forest University. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- "Wellington Phoenix women sign New Zealand midfielders Chloe Knott and Grace Jale". Stuff. 18 October 2021.
- "Jale, Burrows and Taranto sign for United". Canberra United. 15 July 2022.
- Morgan, Gareth (15 August 2023). "Glory land Women's World Cup striker". Perth Glory.
- "Women's football squad announced for Paris 2024". New Zealand Football. 4 July 2024.
Grace Jale* (31 caps) Unattached
- "Football Ferns forward lured back to the Nix". Wellington Phoenix. 27 August 2024.
- "Grace Jale National Team Match Logs". FBref.com. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
External links
- Grace Jale at Soccerway
| Wellington Phoenix FC (women) – current squad | |
|---|---|
- 1999 births
- Living people
- New Zealand women's association footballers
- Association footballers from Auckland
- New Zealand women's international footballers
- Women's association football midfielders
- New Zealand people of Fijian descent
- New Zealand Māori sportspeople
- New Zealand Māori women
- Wellington Phoenix FC (women) players
- Canberra United FC players
- Perth Glory FC (women) players
- Expatriate women's soccer players in Australia
- New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Australia
- New Zealand expatriate women's association footballers
- 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic association footballers for New Zealand
- 21st-century New Zealand sportswomen