Ahead of the new WSL season, West Ham captain Katrina Gorry says she has “never felt this much love” from a club before.
West Ham revived a tough start to the 2024/25 WSL season after a resurgence of form saw the side conclude the campaign in ninth place with 23 points. Promising glimpses in the latter stages of the season now see all signs point to an exciting campaign in east London.
As for club captain Katrina Gorry, the Australian midfielder is relishing in her time spent in claret and blue. Telling The Halfway Line that she feels right at home in east London, Gorry is ready to lead her side to new heights once more.
The Halfway Lines sat down for an exclusive interview with the Irons skipper ahead of the 2025/26 WSL season.
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West Ham head coach Rehanne Skinner allows Gorry to become ‘a better leader’
Following a strong conclusion to the league season, West Ham head coach Rehanne Skinner was awarded a new contract with the club. Gorry packed on the praise for the woman in the dug out, explaining that she allows the players to be themselves.
“It’s been awesome,” Gorry said on her time spent under head coach Skinner. “I mean, there’s not many coaches that you know you can really feel like you can be yourself. They see your strengths, they pull you up on your weaknesses, and you can have honest conversations with to become a better player, to become a better leader.
“I think having that relationship has made me go to a different strength and to see my weaknesses in a better light, and just try and be a better footballer and a better teammate as well.
“So I think it’s been great that the club re-signed her. I think she really showed what she had done with the team through last season, and I think being able to have the same coach, know that you have the same philosophies and be pushing just to be better this season. I think it’s always nice for the team.”
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West Ham is ‘home’
Gorry signed for the Irons in January of 2024, and has since worked her way into the captain’s armband. Reflecting on her time at the club so far, the Australian admits that she now calls east London home.
“It’s home here for me,” Gorry said. “Even coming back from Australia for two months in the off season and coming back, it felt like being home again, which is a really nice feeling.
“The support we have here, not just on the field, but off the field, to the way they look after me and my family. I think I’ve never felt this sort of love from a football team. And I think when I play, I leave everything out there because of how I feel off the field and the belief that the club has instilled in me. So, I’m happy to be here.”
No game is easy in the WSL says Gorry
The 33-year-old boasts a wealth of international club experience, plying her trade in Australia, America, Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden and England so far. Reflecting on why she believes the WSL is her toughest challenge yet, Gorry admitted that “no game is easy” in England.
“You’ve pretty much got all the best players playing in one league,” Gorry said. “No game is easy, and I think we saw that in last season. You know, you could be ninth, you could be fifth in one game, and I think that’s what it makes this league so exciting, is you never really know where anyone’s going to end up.
“No one is going to cement a top-four spot. Now that London City have come into the league, I think it’s going to be an exciting season. No one is really the underdog anymore.”
The Irons have collected several memorable moments over recent seasons, but the one that sprung to Gorry’s mind was West Ham’s gritty 2-2 comeback against Chelsea last season. Shakeira Martinez was the hero on the occasion, clinching two late goals for the Irons at Kingsmeadow.
“At the end of last season was really enjoyable for us. I think one moment that stands stands out is when I had to come off early in the Chelsea game, and to sit on the sideline and watch the team come back and to draw the game. I think just showed where we were as a team in that moment, and how much belief we had in ourselves and in each other. You can take a lot from those sorts of games.”
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‘I wanted to play Spurs first’ Gorry says ahead of season opener
English football does rivalry like no other nation. There five London-based clubs in the WSL, meaning the London derby is something the Australian has grown quite accustomed to.
This is something West Ham are preparing for as they travel to Brisbane Road to play Tottenham Hotspur in the opening game of the new season.
“Yeah, it’s wild,” Gorry says on rivalry in the English game. “In Brisbane, we kind of have Sydney as the rivals, so it’s strange having so many different clubs around you [in England]. But, I think that that makes the atmosphere exciting, pretty much any game you play is a team that’s kind of close to you, and you know that you’re always going to get away fans.
“Our home advantage for us is pretty special, and we showed that last season too. So I wanted to play Spurs first, so I’m glad that happened. It would be nicer to be at home, but it’s an exciting game for us.”
Heading into the 2025/26 WSL campaign, Gorry is hoping that her side can carry the strong momentum they gathered in the closing stages of last season into the challenge ahead.
“I think for us, we didn’t start the season how we wanted to last season. So I think for us, the main thing we’re focusing on is that first game and making sure that we’re kind of not on the back foot and we show up after Christmas break. I think for us, it’s about having the complete season, that same consistent football and trying to try to push for that top half of the table.