Swedish Damallsvenskan side Linköpings FC have swooped to sign Brianna Davey for the rest of the season, adding yet another chapter to what has been a breakout year for the Melbourne Victory and Matildas goalkeeper.
The talented custodian has been brought in as a replacement for injured Swedish National team goalkeeper Sofia Lundgren, and will compete for a spot between the sticks with Lina Ringshamre.
With the Swedish transfer window due to slam shut on August 11, the move appears to have come at just the right time for Davey with Linköpings confirming that most of the paperwork has been completed.
“It’s all happening so quickly,” Davey said when The Corner Flag caught up with her.
“It’s nerve wracking but it’s also really exciting.”
Linköpings coach Martin Sjögren seemed delighted with the goalkeeper’s impending arrival, describing her as ‘probably the world’s most talented goalkeeper’.
“There is no one else that age that has found a place as a regular in one of the world’s top eight national teams,” he said in quotes attributed on linkopingfc.com.
Davey will have some familiar company in her strange new surroundings as it was revealed that Linköpings midfielder Petra Larsson had played an important part in getting her to the club.
Melbourne Victory fans will no doubt remember Larsson’s stylish displays for Melbourne Victory in the middle of the park earlier this year, as the Swede collected a well-deserved Victory Medal awarded to the club’s player of the season.
Following Larsson and Davey’s cross-continental moves, Linköpings manager Anders Mäki also indicated that a partnership between the two clubs might be in the works.
“We are now looking at getting to a more developed cooperation with a great Melbourne Victory,” he said.
“[Our] seasons compliments the other in Sweden and Australia, so there are openings for a partnership, which would certainly be attractive for both Swedish and Australian players.”
This represents the 18-year-old’s first overseas stint, after making her W-League debut in 2010 and displacing then Matildas No. 1 Melissa Barbieri at Melbourne Victory a year later.
Davey was also part of the Victory side that lost a thrilling Grand Final to Sydney FC last season, her performances during the year earning her a call up to the national team and the first of four international caps against Haiti.
The young goalkeeper has been appearing for Bundoora United in the Victorian Women’s Premier League this past winter, and is a chance to make one final appearance later today against Heidelberg United before she embarks on her Scandinavian adventure in midweek.