Sydney FC stars Cortnee Vine and Charlotte McLean will head overseas after four hugely successful seasons in Sky Blue.
The double Championship and triple Premiership winners will move to the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States to begin the next stage of their careers.
Vine, 26 and McLean, 24 have been key members of Sydney FC’s multi-title winning squad in recent years and leave behind a fantastic legacy at the club.
Head Coach Ante Juric heaped praise on the duo.
“It is sad to see Charlotte and Cortnee leave the club, but I am extremely proud of them and wish them all the best in the USA.
“They are excellent players and more importantly great people. I will miss them,” he said.
“They have been fantastic for Sydney FC and have both made important contributions to our success.
“They have always worn the shirt with pride and given everything, which is truly special and our Members will remember that.
“When Charlotte and Cortnee came to Sydney FC no one really knew much about them or spoke of them as superstars.
“As a club, we are proud of helping them emerge as genuine stars of our game, by providing them with an environment to grow, flourish, and shine.
“We are very confident of unearthing and developing the next stars of Sydney FC and Australian football and we have young players at the club who will now have their opportunity to step up and fill this void.
“It’s something Sydney FC has done very well in recent years, successfully replacing big players such as Logarzo, Foord, Kennedy, Polias, Wheeler, De Vanna, Siemsen Green, Hunter and Rule with new talent. The future is always exciting.”
While playing for Sydney FC the duo have received numerous personal accolades with Vine becoming a household name and a regular in the Matildas.
She has also been named in four consecutive PFA A-League Team of the Season squads, has won Sydney FC’s Members’ Player of the Year twice and Golden Boot twice.
McLean is Sydney FC’s reigning Player of the Year and has twice been named in the PFA Team of the Season.
She believes Sydney FC has helped put her on the road to this new opportunity.
“I will never forget the experience and development I’ve undergone at Sydney FC,” she said.
“It has been a wonderful and incredibly successful last four seasons, built on a winning mentality and a fantastic team culture.
“Sydney FC has given me the chance to fulfill many of my sporting dreams and helped open a pathway to my next challenge.
“I’d like to thank everyone at the club, particularly Ante [Juric], our coaching staff and my team-mates for their fabulous support.”
Vine said her time at the club marks an indelible chapter in her career.
“The last four years at Sydney FC have had a life-changing impact on me and I’m extremely thankful to everyone at the club,” she said.
“Sydney FC has given me the platform to achieve my goals, enjoy a lot of success and move on to the next stage of my career.
“I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunities I’ve had as a Sydney FC player and one day I would love to return to Sky Blue.
“We have a fantastic squad and some unbelievably talented young players, so I’m convinced the club is in good shape to defend our title.”
Mclean has made 74 appearances for Sydney FC contributing 38 clean sheets, and was an ever present this season, scoring one goal.
Vine has played 65 times for the Sky Blues scoring 30 goals and won 28 Matildas caps while at the club.
