Sky Blue FC Loans Nadim, Bledsoe to Danish Club Fortuna Hjørring
Photos by Robyn McNeil.
Nadim Returns to Former Club for Upcoming Elitedivisionen Season
Morristown, N.J. (Thursday, September 10, 2015) – Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced today that forward Nadia Nadim and goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe will both be playing on loan for Danish club Fortuna Hjørring during the upcoming Elitedivisionen season.
“It is important for players to continue their development by remaining active and playing in competitive games,” said Jim Gabarra, Sky Blue FC Technical Director & Head Coach. “In terms of Nadia, this will be an easy transition because she returns to a familiar training environment and heads back to school, which was her everyday life before coming to Sky Blue FC. With Aubrey, this is a great opportunity for her to get some additional game experience under her belt, and that is important for her personal development as a player.”
Nadim just wrapped up her first full season with Sky Blue FC. During the 2015 campaign, she was tied for a team-best six goals, three of them being game-winning scores, while also adding an assist to her stat sheet. The Danish National Team striker first played with the New Jersey side on a loan from Fortuna Hjørring in 2014, registering seven goals and three assists in just six matches.
Born in Afghanistan, Nadim was granted Danish citizenship at the age of 18 and made her debut for the Danish National Team the following year. She began her club career in 2005 for B52 Aalborg and then played for Team Viborg before spending seven seasons with IK Skovbakken. She joined Fortuna Hjørring in 2012 and is entering her fourth season with the Danish club.
Playing behind NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year finalist Brittany Cameron, Bledsoe logged just eight minutes during the 2015 NWSL season, her first in the league. Before arriving in New Jersey, the former Wake Forest University standout played with Idrettsklubben Grand Bodø of the Norwegian League. While playing at Wake Forest University, Bledsoe was named an NSCAA All-American following her final three years of college, twice receiving third team honors before being named to the second team following her senior season.
Both Nadim and Bledsoe will return to Sky Blue FC prior to the start of the 2016 NWSL preseason.
Founded in 1966, Fortuna Hjørring plays its home matches at Hjørring Stadium in Denmark. A member of the UEFA Women’s Champion League since 2009, Fortuna reached the UEFA Women’s Cup Final in 2003 and has advanced to the UEFA Round of 16 on four separate occasions since. Additionally, Fortuna has won eight Danish League Championships, most recently in 2014, and five Danish Women’s Cups.
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