RANGERS Football Club can today confirm the signing of Mijke Roelfsema on a two-year deal.
The defender joins the Light Blues as a free agent, having most recently featured for FC Nantes in France’s Ligue 1 last season.
Born in the Netherlands, she started in youth football with VV Schoonhoven in her homeland, where she played with the boys teams, before in August 2014, she joined ADO Den Haag.
The 28-year-old then moved across the Atlantic in 2017 to attend college in Boston, United States, featuring in college football there before switching to Rice University two years later.
She briefly featured for Calgary Foothills WFC in Canada before making her first steps into the professional game, signing for Apollon Ladies in Cyprus as she made the move back over to Europe.
Spending a season there from 2022 she then made the switch to Danish Women’s League club AaB Fodbold before a stint in the Republic of Ireland occurred with Treaty United.
A move back to Canada with Calgary Wild then came to fruition before her last club FC Nantes made the made to bring her to France in January this year, finishing in fourth place with the club in the nation’s top tier.
On the international front the centre-back has featured for her nation at two youth levels with both the Netherlands Under-17s and 19s respectively. As she featured against Germany in a friendly back in 2015 and playing on two occasions for the Under-19s side.
She will now make the switch to the UK for the first time and strengthen Leanne Crichton’s defensive reinforcements ahead of the new campaign getting underway in August.
Speaking after signing for Rangers, Roelfsema said: “I am really excited, I have only been here for two and a half days and it feels very much like coming home so I think that is a really good start. “I have played at a lot of different clubs and I think that has given me a lot of experience and as I have gotten older I really wanted to be part of a club that is trying to reach championship titles and I really wanted a good group of people with a good setup and this was honestly perfect. “Now that I have been here I feel I have definitely made the right decision. I just want to give back all the experience that I have gotten and this is the perfect setup for me.”
Women’s Head Coach Leanne Crichton added: “We're really pleased to bring Mijke to Rangers. She’s a player who adds valuable experience to our squad, having played in a number of different leagues and environments throughout her career, and we believe those experiences will be a real asset to the group.
“She's a composed defender who reads the game well, is comfortable in possession and brings leadership qualities both on and off the pitch. Those are important characteristics for us as we continue to build a squad capable of competing on all fronts next season.
“Mijke has shown a real desire to be part of what we're building here. She's ambitious, embraces new challenges and is excited by the opportunity to represent this club. We're looking forward to welcoming her into the group and seeing the qualities she'll bring to the team moving forward.”
Women’s and Girls’ Managing Director Donald Gillies also said: “We are delighted to welcome Mijke to Rangers. She brings valuable experience from playing in a number of different leagues and environments, most recently in Ligue 1 in France, and that has helped shape her into a composed, intelligent defender with strong leadership qualities. We believe that mentality will be a real asset to our squad.
“Throughout the recruitment process, Mijke impressed us not only with her ability on the pitch, but also with her professionalism and ambition. She has shown a willingness to embrace new challenges throughout her career, and we feel Rangers is the ideal place for her to continue that journey.
“As we look to keep strengthening the group, it is important that we add players who can contribute both on and off the pitch. Mijke fits that profile perfectly, and we are excited to welcome her to the club and look forward to seeing the impact she can make in a Rangers shirt.”
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