Park: Tour will help new players integrate into City style | OneFootball

Jess Park believes City’s pre-season tour of Australia is the perfect opportunity to embed our new signings ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Gareth Taylor has overseen several changes to his squad since the end of last term, with six players joining the club and six moving on.

The new signings include WSL record scorer Vivianne Miedema, Japanese internationals Aoba Fujino, Risa Shimizu and Ayake Yamashita as well as young English talents Eve Annets and Naomi Layzell.

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While Shimizu’s injury means she won’t be in Perth, Park sees the 10-day trip as a chance to grow closer to the rest of the new additions.

Park was a key part of our brilliant run in the second half of last season that took the WSL title race to the final day, with Chelsea just edging us to the title.

Having had the City style ingrained in her since arriving at the Club in 2017, she wants to help pass on that knowledge to her newest colleagues as quickly as possible.

“Last season we built a really good environment without the pre-season tour and I think having that this season will increase the positive environment a whole lot more,” she said.

“With new players it’s important to share our environment and what we want that to look like with them.

“Already they’re fitting in so well, so it’s only going to make it even better on tour and enjoying those moments together.”

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While we will train every day and play two matches in the Perth International Football Cup, there will also be some downtime for the players in Western Australia.

The squad arrive a week ahead of our game against Leicester City which is available to watch live on mancity.com and our official app with a CITY+ subscription.

As well as visiting quokkas and taking in some Aussie Rules football, Park has already picked Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy’s brains about one particular aspect of Australian life.

More on our Australia Tour 2024

“I’m really looking forward to it,” she began when asked about what she is most looking forward.

“They’ve told us the coffee there is the best in the world, but I haven’t actually tried it so I’ll have to see when I get out there and see if they’re right about that.

“They have said it’s winter so it’s not going to be as warm as we’d expect but I’m sure it’ll be lovely as it is.”

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The start of the tour comes a month before our 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Super League opener at Arsenal.

Meanwhile, we’ll find out our opponents in Champions League qualifiers just a few days after returning from Australia.

Having been back in pre-season since late July, Park is keen for her and her team-mates to be ready to hit the ground running in all competitions.

“First of all, it’s nice to be around everyone again,” she started.

“As you build into it, it’s just about fitness and getting back into it and remembering the City way and how we play.

“It’s just building on that week in, week out regardless of having matches or not.

“Using pre-season matches as practice matches for the actual season and getting back to the quality you’re at the end of the season.

“I think that’s the real importance of pre-season is to be ready for those games. Champions League and the first game of the season.

“That’s what we’re trying to do here is to just be ready to win those games.”

Australia Tour 2024

Both of City’s matches in Perth will be globally available to watch on mancity.com and our official app with a CITY+ subscription.

First we play Leicester City at 11:15 (UK) on Wednesday 28 August, before facing either Paris Saint-Germain or West Ham United on Sunday 1 September.

CITY+ is available via an annual subscription of £34.99 a year, saving you £24 on our monthly offering.

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