Canberra United foundation player Caitlin Munoz has backed her former teammate and current Adelaide United striker Michelle Heyman to deliver against the club that let her go.
Matildas duo Heyman and Caitlin Munoz were unceremoniously dumped by second-year Canberra coach Heather Garriock this past off-season.
Adelaide United striker Michelle Heyman in action against Brisbane last week.Credit:AAP
The pair were casualties of sweeping changes in Garriock's first full pre-season in charge and Heyman was picked up by Adelaide, while 35-year-old Munoz stayed in Canberra.
Heyman spent eight seasons in the capital and will come up against United for the time in almost a decade at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide on Thursday night.
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"I think it'll be mixed emotions for Michelle, she loved Canberra and the club and fans so it's going to be interesting because she's a winner and just wants to win whatever team she plays for," Munoz said.
"She's loving Adelaide. The team is great, the coach is great, he works a lot with her as an individual and that will only help the team win.
"She's always up for the fight and she'll be going out and giving her best and Adelaide have really benefited from having her in the squad."
Heyman has been plagued by injury in recent years but Munoz believes her close friend is back in top form and said the 30-year-old's best years are head of her.
Canberra United coach Heather Garriock. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong
"She's just happy to be back playing football pain free, she had quite a bit of pain for the past 12 months but at the moment she's playing pain free and loving football again," Munoz said.
"She's still got a fair bit to go in her career and I think playing pain free could spark something really good for Michelle and Adelaide."
Garriock said she has no regrets about the squad she assembled this season and was confident United would bounce back from their first loss of the season last week.
She'll welcome back captain and central defender Rachel Corsie into the side after she missed last week's game due to her international duties with Scotland, while Taren King misses due to an ankle injury and Natasha Prior comes into the squad.
"My recruitment process is pretty simple, I get players who buy into my philosophy which requires hard work and dedication to one another and being a team player and I think I successfully recruited a team that does that," Garriock said.
"We've played some good football, we had an unlucky result last week and will bounce back against Adelaide.
"They're good and well respect them. We won't take them lightly. They haven't lost and they played some good football against Brisbane last week.
"It's going to be a really good game."
W-LEAGUE ROUND FOUR
Thursday: Canberra United v Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium, 7pm.
Eamonn Tiernan is a sports reporter with The Canberra Times
Canberra United foundation player Caitlin Munoz has backed her former teammate and current Adelaide United striker Michelle Heyman to deliver against the club that let her go.
Matildas duo Heyman and Caitlin Munoz were unceremoniously dumped by second-year Canberra coach Heather Garriock this past off-season.
Adelaide United striker Michelle Heyman in action against Brisbane last week.Credit:AAP
The pair were casualties of sweeping changes in Garriock's first full pre-season in charge and Heyman was picked up by Adelaide, while 35-year-old Munoz stayed in Canberra.
Heyman spent eight seasons in the capital and will come up against United for the time in almost a decade at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide on Thursday night.
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"I think it'll be mixed emotions for Michelle, she loved Canberra and the club and fans so it's going to be interesting because she's a winner and just wants to win whatever team she plays for," Munoz said.
"She's loving Adelaide. The team is great, the coach is great, he works a lot with her as an individual and that will only help the team win.
"She's always up for the fight and she'll be going out and giving her best and Adelaide have really benefited from having her in the squad."
Heyman has been plagued by injury in recent years but Munoz believes her close friend is back in top form and said the 30-year-old's best years are head of her.
Canberra United coach Heather Garriock. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong
"She's just happy to be back playing football pain free, she had quite a bit of pain for the past 12 months but at the moment she's playing pain free and loving football again," Munoz said.
"She's still got a fair bit to go in her career and I think playing pain free could spark something really good for Michelle and Adelaide."
Garriock said she has no regrets about the squad she assembled this season and was confident United would bounce back from their first loss of the season last week.
She'll welcome back captain and central defender Rachel Corsie into the side after she missed last week's game due to her international duties with Scotland, while Taren King misses due to an ankle injury and Natasha Prior comes into the squad.
"My recruitment process is pretty simple, I get players who buy into my philosophy which requires hard work and dedication to one another and being a team player and I think I successfully recruited a team that does that," Garriock said.
"We've played some good football, we had an unlucky result last week and will bounce back against Adelaide.
"They're good and well respect them. We won't take them lightly. They haven't lost and they played some good football against Brisbane last week.
"It's going to be a really good game."
W-LEAGUE ROUND FOUR
Thursday: Canberra United v Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium, 7pm.
Eamonn Tiernan is a sports reporter with The Canberra Times
