Football Ferns defender Rebekah Stott will return to W-League club Melbourne City this season after battling Stage 3 Hodgkin Lymphoma, a type of cancer, the club said on Thursday.
In March, the former Brighton & Hove Albion player Stott said she would need to go through four months of chemotherapy, after being diagnosed with the condition.
Melbourne City said the 28-year-old is now in complete remission, after undergoing treatment in Australia.
Stott trained with semi-professional club Bulleen Lions last month before deciding to rejoin Melbourne City, where she won four Championships and two Premiership titles from 2015 to 2020.
"It's an incredible feeling for me to have football back and I definitely didn't realise how much I’d missed it until I got back on the pitch," Stott said on the club's website.
"Dr. Nick (Club doctor) has been with me from the very first appointment to the last and the Club has always been behind me and supported me, so it's great to be back.
"The W-League is such an amazing league that I always have a great time playing in and I can't wait to pull on a City shirt again."
Stott represented Australia at youth level before switching allegiance to New Zealand, her country of birth. She has since earned 81 caps for the Football Ferns, dating back to 2012.
Melbourne City head coach Rado Vidosic said he's "thrilled" about Stott's return to his squad.
"It's exciting to be announcing our squad for the new season and we are thrilled to have Stotty returning," says Vidosic.
"Most importantly, it's great to see her happy and healthy, but I also can’t wait to see her back on the pitch doing what she loves.
"Our squad this season will be a mix of experience and youth so to have a player of her quality and leadership back amongst the group will be a huge benefit as we look to improve on last season."
Stott's stll has her sights set on representing New Zealand at the 2023 FIFA Womens' World Cup on home soil.
Reuters/Newshub.
