Vivianne Miedema insists she can return to the world-class form she produced at Arsenal after joining their WSL rivals Manchester City.
The 28-year-old started just eight league games over the past two seasons due to injury and left the Gunners on a free transfer at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Miedema turned down approaches from abroad to stay in England with City and, after starting in the Netherlands’ draws with Norway and Italy last month, says she is capable of reproducing the form that helped her become the WSL’s record scorer.
“I’ve had a difficult season and a half but, coming back into the national team camp over the summer, I really felt like me again,” said Miedema, who was introduced to City supporters on Sunday alongside Savinho, Pep Guardiola’s latest signing for the men’s side.
“I found a new appreciation for football and I’m really excited to start here. I hope my experience and qualities can help the team develop and help the girls around me.
“I know I can still play football and I just want to show that on the pitch.”
Miedema’s decision to join City – who have not won the WSL since 2016 – may have raised eyebrows but the forward explained she was intent on not taking the “easy option”.
She said: “I’ve been in the league for a long time and my gut feeling told me I really wanted to stay in England.
“I’ve spoken to multiple clubs in England and abroad, but when I started talking to City I got really excited. I want to challenge myself and I know this wasn’t the easy option.
“Having spent seven years at Arsenal, the easy voice in my head said, ‘just go abroad and play for a team that can win the Champions League’.
“I knew there were going to be mixed reactions to me joining City. I’m a very loyal person and player and I always make decisions based on the whole picture, not just football. I don’t ask people to understand it but I do ask people to respect it.”
‘I like complementing players around me’
Miedema joins a City attack that already boasts Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, last season’s WSL top scorer, as well as England internationals Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp.
But rather than fret over her chances of earning a regular starting place, Miedema believes she can complement the existing talents at Gareth Taylor’s disposal.
“I obviously spoke with Gareth over the last couple of months and I got a really good feeling from him,” said Miedema. “I started as a winger, then moved to No 9 and have recently been playing a lot as a No 10.
“I’m very versatile and I like complementing players around me. It’s not all about scoring goals.”
Despite being an attacking player, Miedema has inherited the No 6 shirt vacated by defender Steph Houghton, who retired at the end of last season after 10 years at City.
Miedema says surpassing Houghton’s modest goal total is her first challenge, adding: “If we win a WSL title along the way, I think that would be the perfect legacy for me to leave.”
Perhaps inevitably, City begin their campaign to win a first WSL title in nine years at the Emirates against Arsenal – Miedema’s former club and the home of Beth Mead, her partner.
“I already made a bet with Beth about it, that it was going to happen,” revealed Miedema. “It’s exciting.
“I’m happy to get it out of the away.”