Cast your mind back a decade or two and Australian footballers were a familiar presence in the Premier League. Mark Schwarzer made more than 500 top-flight appearances. Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill and Mark Viduka were household names. Yet as the 2025-26 season approaches, only one Australian is set to play in England's top division — 18-year-old Lucas Herrington, who has just joined promoted Hull City from Colorado Rapids in a deal reported to be worth around £17m including add-ons.

Flip across to the Women's Super League, however, and the picture is strikingly different. Thirteen Australian internationals are spread across eight WSL clubs this season. Arsenal alone have three Matildas on their books, as do promoted Charlton Athletic. Chelsea's Ellie Carpenter, Manchester City's Mary Fowler and Everton pair Holly McNamara and Clare Wheeler are among the names that populate the top flight of the women's game in England. So what explains such a sharp contrast?

The A-League effect on men's football

Matildas head coach Joe Montemurro points first to the establishment of a credible professional men's league in Australia. The A-League launched in 2004 and has, over two decades, given aspiring Socceroos a genuine reason to stay at home rather than make the long journey to Europe.

"The establishment of the men's professional league in Australia is a reason for a lot of players to stay — they are quite happy to be professionals within their own country," Montemurro told BBC Sport.

He also notes a broader shift in the global talent pool. "There has been a lot of development in African and Asian countries which has likely widened the net of talent, which means clubs may look elsewhere," he said. There are still Australians working their way through the English football pyramid — Portsmouth's Hayden Matthews and Thomas Waddingham, Norwich's Mohamed Toure, Middlesbrough's Riley McGree and Blackburn's Lewis Miller among them — but the path to the Premier League itself has narrowed considerably.

A financial gap driving women abroad

The women's side of the equation is driven by something rather more blunt: money. A 2025 report by the Australian players' union found that the A-League Women was, by some distance, the lowest-paid major professional women's competition in the country. Minimum salaries sit at around A$26,500 — roughly £13,900 — compared with significantly higher floors in women's cricket and Australian rules football.

Average WSL salaries were reported at approximately £47,000 as far back as 2022, and the league has only grown in stature since. For a Matilda weighing up her options, the financial case for moving to England is difficult to ignore.

Ellie Carpenter, who plays for Chelsea, recently called out the state of the domestic game back home following a pre-season friendly against Sydney FC. "It's disappointing to see where the league is at here now in Australia, especially coming off the back of the World Cup in 2023 and the buzz here," she said, adding that a return to the ALW was not realistic for her at present due to the financial gap.

The WSL's expanding infrastructure

Montemurro also credits the structural growth of women's football in England for making it an attractive destination. The introduction of a second tier — WSL 2, now formally the Championship — has created more entry points for overseas players looking to establish themselves before stepping up.

"The growth of the game in England in club professionalism and with the expansion of WSL to include a second tier has contributed to more female Australians playing in England," he said. Four Australian players currently compete in that second division, with Alexia Apostolakis at Bristol City, Rachel Lowe at Durham, Kaitlyn Torpey at Newcastle and Alana Murphy at Nottingham Forest.

The contrast between the two competitions says as much about the structural investment in English women's football as it does about the relative stagnation in Australia's domestic set-up. Until the ALW closes the wage gap and secures a collective bargaining agreement — something it currently lacks — the noises out of the Matildas camp suggest the pipeline to England will only grow stronger.

Full list of Australians in the WSL

  • Arsenal: Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord
  • Brighton & Hove Albion: Charlize Rule
  • Charlton Athletic: Emily van Egmond, Leah Davidson, Grace Johnston
  • Chelsea: Ellie Carpenter
  • Everton: Holly McNamara, Clare Wheeler
  • London City Lionesses: Alanna Kennedy
  • Manchester City: Mary Fowler
  • Tottenham Hotspur: Clare Hunt

Frequently asked

How many Australians are playing in the WSL?
There are 13 Australian players across eight WSL clubs this season, including three at Arsenal and three at Charlton Athletic.
Why aren't more Australians playing in the Premier League?
The launch of Australia's A-League in 2004 gave male players a credible professional option at home, while increased global competition for places has made the Premier League harder to break into. Currently only one Australian — teenager Lucas Herrington at Hull City — features in the top flight.
Why do Australian women prefer the WSL to playing at home?
The A-League Women is Australia's lowest-paid major professional women's sport, with minimum salaries of around £13,900. Average WSL wages are reported to be significantly higher, making the move to England financially compelling for Matildas internationals.