A member of the Philippine women’s national team has been quietly burning the candle at both ends in order to build her status as a world-class footballer.
The hard work looks like it has been paying off for Jesse Shugg after Fylkir FC, a top division club in the Iceland domestic women’s league, signed her for the new season which starts May next year.
Fylkir FC finished the 2016 season in 8th place of the “Pepsi-deild Kvenna” but hopes that the addition of the Filipina-Canadian will bring them more success, and take them closer to the top of the table, eventually a closer shot at qualifying for the prestigious UEFA Women’s Champions League.
“My goal is to help contribute what I can to the team and make it back up to the top of the league,” said the 24-year-old forward, who has also been a prolific scorer in every tour of duty with the Philippines.
“I heard [the coach] is going to be really good for Fylkir and I’m hoping it’ll be a good experience working with him and the team.”
Shugg is no stranger to Icelandic football, which has recently seen a rise in popularity for both the men’s and women’s games.
During the previous season, the 24-year-old played for lower tier club Tindastóll where she scored 11 goals in seven games along with a handful of assists.
Photo by Mavee Park