Alyssha Eglinton

Alyssha Eglinton earned her maiden professional contract ahead of the 2026-27 Ninja A-League campaign after a number of impressive years in the academy setup.

A proud Wellingtonian, Eglinton played her youth football with Petone FC before making the jump into the Nix academy in 2021.

Having initially joined as a midfielder, Eglinton dropped into the backline and has featured as a centre-back for both club and country over recent seasons.

She has represented New Zealand up to U-20 level.

> 2025-26 season

Alyssha Eglinton was the captain of the Phoenix women’s reserves throughout 2026, including as they made the semi-final of the Kate Sheppard Cup for the third consecutive year.

She also featured in all three matches at the 2026 U-20 World Cup in Poland.

Her versatility and first team involvement during pre-season led to her being offered a two-year scholarship contract ahead of the 2026-27 Ninja A-League season.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” she said. “It’s super exciting. My family know how hard I’ve been working to try and get in this position, so that hard work has finally paid off.

“100%, one of my goals is just to see if I can get any minutes. Obviously I want to push my way into the squad, but just getting a contract to start with is a good start.”