Malta international will join on a three-year deal
Haley Bugeja will make her return to Italian football as she will sign with Inter, Orlando Pride confirmed.
Bugeja, born in 2004, leaves Orlando Pride one year after embarking in the American National Women’s Soccer League.
“Haley has demonstrated maturity and professionalism well beyond her years while here in Orlando and we value having had her as a member of our Orlando Pride family,” Club VP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said to the club’s website.
“It was important for us to do right by her and help identify an opportunity where she could earn more game time and continue her development on and off the pitch. We wish her the best of luck in this next chapter of her career.”
In the USA, Bugeja clocked just 139 minutes over five matches between the second part of the 2022 campaign and the opening part of the 2023 appointments.
Her last appearance for the club was on May 11 when the former Mġarr United player was fielded from the start in the 4-2 defeat against the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
Bugeja became the Pride’s youngest ever player when she made her debut in the NWSL, last September. She came on from the bench in a home game against North Caroline Courage.
In the process, she also became just the fourth youngest player to feature in the NWSL.
“I would like to thank the Orlando Pride and the fans for a wonderful year in this city and on this team. I have grown so much as a player and as a person,” Bugeja said.
“I would also like to thank the Club for the work they have done to help me, not only while here as a player, but also in setting up this next move for my career. I will always be a fan of this team!”
Inter becomes Bugeja’s second Italian club after her spell at Sassuolo between 2020 and 2022.
She took the Italian top-flight by a storm in her debut year after topping Sassuolo’s scoring charts with 12 goals.
In total, she scored 15 goals in 36 games in all competitions for Sassuolo including one in the final game of the 2021/2022 season in a 2-1 victory over her new club Inter.
She is expected to join Inter’s pre-season in the latter stages of July under the guidance of former Juventus coach Rita Guarino.
Last season, Inter missed out on a Women’s Champions League spot after finishing fifth in the Italian championship.
