PERCIVAL Ria

General
TEAM SPIRIT
In 2020 she spoke about the team spirit of the New Zealand women's national team. "The Football Ferns [New Zealand women's national team] environment is something I can't put into words or describe really. I call it my second family or coming together and being with my sisters. We are all so close and get on so well, the bond we have is something I haven't felt anywhere else. Anyone new coming in would feel like they have been there for a while and we try to make them feel at home and comfortable as quickly as possible. The girls mean so much to me and I wouldn't be where I am today without them." (nzfootball.co.nz, 08 Apr 2020)

MOVE TO NEW ZEALAND
Born in England, she played for the youth academy at Colchester United in England before moving to New Zealand with her family at age 14. "When you come from England, it's a football-mad nation. Then, you go to New Zealand and it's a totally different shift in sport and what the main focus is. In the academy, I went up through the age groups, then going to New Zealand, there wasn't really that set-up and support at the time. I got chucked in with a boys team, but they said I was too good for them, so they moved me in with a women's team at the age of 14 or 15. I was playing in the women's league in New Zealand then. You're playing in a team full of older players and a lot of them, at the time, were playing for New Zealand." (goal.com, 07 Apr 2020)

MOVE TO TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
She grew up supporting English football club Tottenham Hotspur and signed for the club ahead of the 2019/20 Women's Super League [WSL] season. "My family, grandad, uncles, dad, everyone supports them, so I've supported them all my life. To be able to play for a club I've supported my whole life, when I had the chance, I wasn't really going to turn it down. With Spurs being such a big club and a big name in itself, it's one thing for any player to come here, but they're trying to build as a club too." (goal.com, 07 Apr 2020)

LEADERSHIP ROLE
After becoming the first New Zealand football player to reach 150 international appearances in March 2020, she spoke about her role as a leader in the national team and helping to develop women's football in New Zealand. "For me, although it was amazing reaching a massive milestone, I also saw it as another game representing my country and striving and pushing towards our goals. I am just taking it year by year, being a senior player and having more of a leadership role in the team. My focus is helping the younger players coming through, to develop, grow to becoming the best footballers that they can be, but also off the pitch support and growth is massive, so I am trying to help them in any way that I can." (tottenhamhotspur.com, 18 Mar 2020)

In March 2020 she became the first New Zealand football player [male or female] to reach 150 international appearances. She achieved the feat in a match against Norway at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. (goal.com, 07 Apr 2020; tottenhamhotspur.com, 18 Mar 2020; shekicks.net, 18 Mar 2020)