Melbourne City have pulled off a massive coup ahead of the Westfield W-League 2017/18 Season after signing Westfield Matildas forward Kyah Simon.

The 26-year-old joins City on a one-year-deal and arrived in Melbourne this week to commence pre-season training ahead of the team’s title defence.

“I’m really excited to start my career with City. I’m always looking for different challenges and ways to push myself and improve my game,” Simon said.

“Coming here and having the opportunity to be part of a club which has raised the standard of football in Australia is going to do just that.

“The facilities and professional environment here is absolutely amazing. Already being at the club has been a wonderful experience on my first day and I’m looking forward to helping the Club achieve even more success this season.”

Simon is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most gifted players, having been part of the Westfield Matildas set up since making her debut as a teenager a decade ago.

She scored the winning penalty in Australia’s ground-breaking 2010 AFC Asian Cup triumph and became the first Indigenous Australian to score at the FIFA World Cup when she scored a brace in a 2-1 win over Norway at the 2011 tournament.

Simon also led the Westfield Matildas to a second-straight World Cup Quarter Final berth at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, netting three goals for the tournament, including the only goal in a historic 1-0 win over Brazil in the knockout stages.

“Kyah is an exceptional player who has experience both in the W-League and at international level for the Matildas,” City boss Patrick Kisnorbo said.

“To have a player of Kyah’s stature join us ahead of our title defence gives us a fantastic boost.

“Not only has Kyah achieved an enormous amount on the field, but she has played a massive role in the development of women’s football and is a role model for all young aspiring female footballers.”

Simon has won two Westfield W-League championships with Sydney FC and also played for the Boston Breakers in America’s National Women’s Soccer League.