Electric winger Hayley Raso recently spoke to Everton icon and fellow Aussie Tim Cahill to discuss the key factors behind her move to the Blues, her experiences playing in front of huge crowds in the USA and the qualities she hopes to bring to Willie Kirk's talented Toffees team...
CAHILL : Hayley, I remember when I got a call from the staff at Everton and they told me they were interested in signing you, it was probably the best phone call I ever had! The Club is so close to my heart and it was great to find out there was going to be another Aussie there. Why did you want to move to Everton?
RASO : First of all, the manager, Willie Kirk, spoke to me about the Club and potential of playing there. And I had a chat with you, too!
I said I’m speaking with Everton and you said, ‘Yeah, I already know!’ They’d already discussed it with you!
Willie spoke really highly of the Club and you spoke very highly of Everton, too, of course.
And just looking at the Club, the potential it has and their vision for the future, it is something I want to be a part of.
CAHILL : From having watched you in action, you can beat a player one-on-one, you have pace, you score goals, you create goals. How would you describe yourself as a player?
RASO : I think I would say I’m fired-up. I’m feel like I’m aggressive, I give 100 per cent all the time.
Coming back from injuries I’ve had, you can see that, but the way I play is just the same. It’s aggressive, fast-paced and I’m always giving 100 per cent.
CAHILL : You’ve played in America for a number of years, where you won the league with Portland Thorns and were voted supporters’ player of the year in 2017. How do you reflect on that journey in the US?
RASO : Going to America was a big step for me. I played there for five years so it was a big part of my career.
They’re really professional over there. In Portland, they have massive crowds coming out to support the team every week. The Thorns get over 20,000 each game, so for women’s football it’s really big. They are such passionate fans. They are incredible.
Winning the league and being recognised by that fanbase with the supporters’ player of the year award was quite exciting for me.
Prior to moving to Portland I was waived [released] by Washington Spirit, so to go to Portland, pick myself back up and then get that recognition meant a lot.
CAHILL : Before moving to America, you won the league in Australia at Canberra United. You’ve came back to Australia in recent years, coming back to Canberra and then playing for Brisbane Roar. Can you talk about your experiences of performing in your home country?
RASO : The 2011/12 season was when I won the league with Canberra United – and that was my first season in the W-League.
I just thought it was the best thing ever, it was so amazing, I was still in school and I was playing in the W-League.
We went undefeated in that season and won the title. It was pretty exciting.
Then I moved back home a couple of years after that and played for Brisbane Roar, my hometown team. It was great to play there because it’s my home, it’s where my family is and they could come and watch me.
CAHILL : I know you haven’t had the chance to play for Everton just yet, but can you talk about the comparisons between football in Australia, America and England? The women’s game is growing so much and is there a sense you are challenging yourself by coming over to a world-class league like the WSL?
RASO : For me, playing in the W-League in Australia, it was my first time as a professional. I then stepped out of my comfort zone and went to America.
The two leagues are similar in terms of the physicality and pace of the game. The US league is that little bit more professional, while the W-League still isn’t a full home and away season yet. It’s still developing a little bit.
Playing in the NWSL in the US for those five years, it was great, it challenged me a lot and developed me into the player I am.
It got to that point where I was looking to expand my career even more.
Being at the World Cup in France in 2019, you can see how much women’s football in Europe has grown. I wanted to test myself in a new environment and that’s why I made the move to Everton.
I haven’t played yet but I’ve watched a lot of the games and I’m looking forward to competing next season. I’m very excited.
CAHILL : When I spoke to Everton manager Willie Kirk and to the Chairman and they said, ‘What type of player is Hayley?’. I just said: ‘You can’t lose’. The similarity to myself is, you never give up. I said I hang my hat on that attitude with Hayley. The excitement Willie had was the same for me and that’s why we’re excited to see you here in England, and so are the Everton fans. I have one final question. For me, some of my failures have been the best thing that have ever happened to me. You said you got released by Washington Spirit, is that the same sort of mentality for you?
RASO : I 100 per cent believe that, too. At the time you think, ‘What am I going to do now? I can’t play football anymore, I don’t have a team’.
Within 24 hours I was packing my bags and moving over to Portland and it turned out to be the best thing because being at Portland was where I was supposed to be.
Basically 5 new signings with Raso and Christiansen still yet to play after signing Jan
