:Milly Clegg

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Milly Clegg

| image = NC Courage vs Racing Louisville (Jul 2024) 077 (Clegg).jpg

| image_size = 175px

| caption = Clegg with Racing Louisville in 2024

| fullname = Emily Louise Foy Clegg

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2005|11|1|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| height = 1.74m{{cite web |title=FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ Squad Lists |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce93/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |publisher=FIFA |accessdate=16 July 2023 |page=19 |date=11 July 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231004305/https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce93/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |url-status=live}}

| position = Forward

| currentclub = Halifax Tides
(on loan from Racing Louisville)

| clubnumber = 22

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Ellerslie

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Bucklands Beach

| years1 = –2022

| clubs1 = Auckland United

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2022–2023

| clubs2 = Wellington Phoenix FC

| caps2 = 16

| goals2 = 4

| years3 = 2023–2024

| clubs3 = Western Sydney Wanderers

| caps3 = 1

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2024–

| clubs4 = Racing Louisville

| caps4 = 1

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2025–

| clubs5 = → Halifax Tides (loan)

| caps5 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2022

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 2

| nationalteam1 = New Zealand U17

| nationalyears2 = 2022

| nationalcaps2 = 7

| nationalgoals2 = 2

| nationalteam2 = New Zealand U20

| nationalyears3 = 2023–

| nationalcaps3 = 6

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| nationalteam3 = New Zealand

| pcupdate = 7 December 2023

| ntupdate = 18 September 2024

}}

Emily Louise Foy Clegg (born 1 November 2005) is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Halifax Tides of the Northern Super League on loan from Racing Louisville of the NWSL.{{Cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023/132537881/fifa-womens-world-cup-the-rapid-rise-of-milly-clegg-the-newest-football-fern |title=FIFA Women's World Cup: The rapid rise of Milly Clegg, the newest Football Fern |first=Andrew |last=Voerman |date=13 July 2023 |website=Stuff |access-date=14 July 2023 |archive-date=14 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714120644/https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023/132537881/fifa-womens-world-cup-the-rapid-rise-of-milly-clegg-the-newest-football-fern |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-teenager-milly-clegg-hopes-to-bring-the-goals-amid-football-ferns-strike-shortage/CYWOMDOK4NBJXCLBR2AQOBJZGM/ |title='Point of difference': Teen eyes World Cup selection amid Football Fern goal shortage |date=15 July 2023 |website=NZ Herald |access-date=14 July 2023 |archive-date=14 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714120645/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-teenager-milly-clegg-hopes-to-bring-the-goals-amid-football-ferns-strike-shortage/CYWOMDOK4NBJXCLBR2AQOBJZGM/ |url-status=live}}

Early life

Milly Clegg grew up in Auckland, and Olympic field hockey player Kylie Clegg ({{nee|Foy}}) is her mother.{{cite web |last1=Ross |first1=Jonathan |title=A star in the making and the world is at her feet |url=https://www.footballfoundation.org.nz/news/a-star-in-the-making-and-the-world-is-at-her-feet |publisher=New Zealand Football Foundation |access-date=23 July 2024 |date=8 December 2022}} When young, Clegg played football for Ellerslie, Bucklands Beach AFC, and at Mount Albert Grammar School; she watched the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup while a student there and was inspired.{{Cite web |date=29 July 2023 |title=Teen prodigy leads special selections for Football Ferns |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023-teen-prodigy-milly-clegg-leads-special-selections-for-football-ferns/RJ5QM6UE2FHSNK5TVP5XC2PNM4/ |access-date=28 July 2023 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ |archive-date=28 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728234807/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023-teen-prodigy-milly-clegg-leads-special-selections-for-football-ferns/RJ5QM6UE2FHSNK5TVP5XC2PNM4/ |url-status=live}}

Club career

= Youth career =

Clegg joined Bucklands Beach AFC at the end of 2019 as a striker for a boys NRFL Youth League team, scoring the most goals for the team in 2020.{{Cite web |last=Plummer |first=Ben |date=2023-07-16 |title=Ex-BBAFC players to suit up for Football Ferns |url=https://www.times.co.nz/news/ex-bbafc-players-to-suit-up-for-football-ferns/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=Times |language=en-NZ |archive-date=27 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127000742/https://www.times.co.nz/news/ex-bbafc-players-to-suit-up-for-football-ferns/ |url-status=live}}

= Senior career =

Clegg played senior football with National League side Auckland United, helping them to win the Kate Sheppard Cup in 2022 before making her National League debut with them.{{Cite web |last=Voerman |first=Andrew |date=13 July 2023 |title=FIFA Women's World Cup: The rapid rise of Milly Clegg, the newest Football Fern |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023/132537881/fifa-womens-world-cup-the-rapid-rise-of-milly-clegg-the-newest-football-fern |access-date=28 July 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=14 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714120648/https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023/132537881/fifa-womens-world-cup-the-rapid-rise-of-milly-clegg-the-newest-football-fern |url-status=live}}

She then joined the Wellington Phoenix, the only New Zealand team in the Australian top-flight women's league, for the 2022–23 season. She was not paid while playing with the Phoenix, in order to retain amateur status and so maintain NCAA eligibility, considering playing college soccer in the United States in the future. Becoming the team's top scorer with four goals, she was offered different options to continue with them, including a multi-year professional contract, but rejected the Phoenix to join their rivals, Australian side Western Sydney Wanderers FC.{{Cite web |last=Rollo |first=Phillip |date=11 July 2023 |title=Football Ferns rising star Milly Clegg not returning to Wellington Phoenix |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023/132527234/football-ferns-rising-star-milly-clegg-not-returning-to-wellington-phoenix |access-date=28 July 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713071345/https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023/132527234/football-ferns-rising-star-milly-clegg-not-returning-to-wellington-phoenix |url-status=live}} She has also declined to be paid by this club.

In January 2024, NWSL club Racing Louisville announced the signing of Clegg on a three-year contract.{{Cite web |title=Racing signs teen New Zealand international Clegg |url=https://www.racingloufc.com/news/2024/01/22/racing-louisville-signs-teen-new-zealand-international-milly-clegg/ |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=Racing Louisville FC |language=en-US |archive-date=23 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123023032/https://www.racingloufc.com/news/2024/01/22/racing-louisville-signs-teen-new-zealand-international-milly-clegg/ |url-status=live}}

In January 2025, Clegg was loaned to Canadian club Halifax Tides for the inaugural season of Canada's top tier Northern Super League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.racingloufc.com/news/2025/01/28/racings-clegg-joins-new-canadian-club-hailfax-tides-on-loan/|title=Racing’s Clegg joins new Canadian club Halifax Tides on loan|publisher=Racing Louisville|date=28 January 2025}}

International career

As a youth international, Clegg represented New Zealand at the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups. At the 2022 Under-20 Women's World Cup, she scored in the third minute of their 2–2 draw with Colombia, the last match as they exited in the group stage. At the 2022 Under-17 Women's World Cup later that year, she scored New Zealand's only goals in two 1–3 defeats.

With New Zealand looking for more goalscoring threats ahead of their home Women's World Cup, Clegg was called up and made her debut for the senior team on 7 April 2023 in a friendly against Iceland.{{cite web |title=Milly Clegg |url=https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/ford-football-ferns-squad/milly-clegg |website=New Zealand Football |access-date=17 July 2023 |archive-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716120714/https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/ford-football-ferns-squad/milly-clegg |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Football Ferns teen Milly Clegg eyes World Cup windfall |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/07/05/football-ferns-teen-star-clegg-eyes-world-cup-windfall/ |website=1News |date=5 July 2023 |access-date=17 July 2023 |archive-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716122223/https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/07/05/football-ferns-teen-star-clegg-eyes-world-cup-windfall/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Fifa Women's World Cup: Teenager Milly Clegg hopes to bring the goals amid Football Ferns' strike shortage |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-teenager-milly-clegg-hopes-to-bring-the-goals-amid-football-ferns-strike-shortage/CYWOMDOK4NBJXCLBR2AQOBJZGM/ |website=New Zealand Herald |date=6 June 2023 |access-date=17 July 2023 |archive-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716210439/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-teenager-milly-clegg-hopes-to-bring-the-goals-amid-football-ferns-strike-shortage/CYWOMDOK4NBJXCLBR2AQOBJZGM/ |url-status=live}} On 30 June 2023, Clegg was called up to the New Zealand squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup,{{cite web |title=Football Ferns squad named for FIFA Women's World Cup |url=https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/130236 |publisher=New Zealand Football |date=30 June 2023 |access-date=16 July 2023 |archive-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716114127/https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/130236 |url-status=live}} the youngest player in the team. The tournament is her third World Cup in under 12 months, a feat matched by Colombia's Linda Caicedo,{{Cite news |last=Anzidei |first=Michael Cox and Melanie |title=Three World Cups in a year after cancer at 15 - maybe Caicedo really is 'from another planet' |url=https://theathletic.com/4718194/2023/07/25/linda-caicedo-colombia-world-cup/ |access-date=28 July 2023 |website=The Athletic |language=en |archive-date=19 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819104531/https://theathletic.com/4718194/2023/07/25/linda-caicedo-colombia-world-cup/ |url-status=live}} leading Clegg to be described as "an absolute unicorn" by New Zealand sports podcast The Niche Cache.{{Cite web |date=30 January 2023 |title=Milly Clegg Is An Absolute Unicorn Of A Kiwi Centre-Forward Prospect |url=https://theniche-cache.com/football/2023/1/30/milly-clegg-is-an-absolute-unicorn-of-a-kiwi-centre-forward-prospect |access-date=28 July 2023 |website=The Niche Cache |language=en-GB |archive-date=12 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712215936/https://theniche-cache.com/football/2023/1/30/milly-clegg-is-an-absolute-unicorn-of-a-kiwi-centre-forward-prospect |url-status=live}}

On 4 July 2024, Clegg was called up to the New Zealand squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/142844|title= Women's football squad announced for Paris 2024|publisher=New Zealand Football|date=4 July 2024}}

Career statistics

=International=

{{updated|match played on 14 July 2023.}}{{cite web |title=2018-now |url=https://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/FootballFerns/2018_now.htm |website=ultimatenzsoccer.com |access-date=21 February 2022 |archive-date=21 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221105006/https://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/FootballFerns/2018_now.htm |url-status=live}}

class=wikitable style=text-align:center \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
rowspan=1\|New Zealand \|2023	4	0
colspan=2\|Total\|\|4\|\|0

class=wikitable style=text-align:center

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team

Year

Apps

Goals

rowspan=1|New Zealand

|2023

colspan=2|Total||4||0