RANGERS Football Club can today confirm the signing of Hannah Blake on a one-year deal.
The 26-year-old will add quality and depth in the wide areas for Leanne Crichton’s side, as she makes the move as a free agent having most recently featured for English side Durham.
Having been born in London, England, she grew up in the birthplace of her parents over in New Zealand, playing with Three Kings United for four years before moving to the United States of America in 2019 to begin her college studies.
She joined the University of Michigan Wolverines in NCAA Division 1, the highest level of US college football, whilst on a soccer scholarship, graduating in 2022 earning a Bachelor of Arts in communications and media together with a minor in business administration. Blake then took her first steps into professional football when joining Australian top-flight side Perth Glory in January 2023.
Netting on her debut for the A-League club against Western United the following month, she spent six months with the Perth based side before moving to fellow Australian outfit Adelaide United that summer.
She spent a further year there before jetting across the globe to the country of her birth, penning a deal to join Durham in WSL 2 in July 2024.
The winger would go on to feature for the English side for the past two seasons, gaining further experience down south as she now makes the switch north of the border to bolster Leanne Crichton’s wide options for the campaign ahead.
A full New Zealand internationalist, she made her debut for the national side at just 17 years of age, having previously featured for the Under-17s side at the FIFA U17s World Cup played in Jordan, before in the Under-20s World Cup on two occasions thereafter.
Now having made 17 caps for her nation, after making her first appearance back in 2017, her notable highlight for the Football Ferns was a bagging a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier against the Solomon Islands, a match in which they won 8-0.
Speaking to RangersTV in her first interview after signing, she said: “It is really exciting, the first few days have been good I have settled in nicely. The girls have been really welcoming so it feels nice and it feels like home already which is good.
“Rangers is obviously a massive club and that was exciting to me. I think speaking to Leanne and Donald, the club has a huge amount of ambition and they want to win and that excites me.
“It was clear that Leanne wants to play a really attacking style of football, obviously dominate and win sort of at all costs especially as an attacking player that is something that is really exciting so it was a little bit of a no brainer really.”
Women’s Head Coach Leanne Crichton added: “We're delighted to welcome Hannah to Rangers. She's a player who will add quality and versatility to our attacking options in the wide areas, and we're excited to see what she can bring to the squad.
“Hannah has gained valuable experience across a number of different leagues and has also tested herself on the international stage with New Zealand. Those experiences have helped shape her into a player who is confident, adaptable and always willing to work for the team.
“She's an exciting player who likes to be positive in possession, can play across the front line and has a real desire to continue developing her game. From our conversations, it was clear she was enthusiastic about joining Rangers and embracing the ambitions we have as a club.
Women’s and Girls’ Managing Director Donald Gillies also said: “We are very pleased to welcome Hannah to Rangers. She is a player who has continued to develop impressively over the last few seasons, and we believe she has the qualities, ambition and character to make a positive impact within our squad.
“Hannah has shown she can perform consistently in a competitive environment, and her work ethic, technical ability and willingness to keep improving made her a standout candidate throughout our recruitment process.
“We are always looking to bring in players who have the potential to develop further, while contributing immediately, and Hannah certainly fits that profile.
“She has vast experience on the international stage representing New Zealand and now joining Rangers is an exciting opportunity for her, and we are confident that our environment will help her continue to progress. We are delighted to have secured her signing and look forward to seeing her represent the club.”
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