University of Bath goalkeeper Alice Evans signs professional contract with Italian Serie A club
University of Bath footballer Alice Evans has become Great Britain’s first-ever professional futsal goalkeeper after signing for Italian Serie A Elite League club Sinnai.
It continues a landmark year for the Sport Performance student, which saw her make her senior international football debut for Wales and win the FA Women’s Futsal Cup with Bristol City Ladies.
Evans was also one of four University of Bath student volunteers who took part in the UK Sport Zambia IDEALS project this summer, delivering PE lessons in Zambian schools and villages as well as set up sporting competitions between neighbouring communities (pictured).
She was recently invited to take part in a trial with Sinnai, based in Sardinia, and signed her first professional contract with them this week after playing for Wales against Norway in a UEFA Women’s Euro qualifier.
Good luck to @YeovilLadiesFC @AliceEvans94 who has signed a pro contract for Italian Futsal side Sinnia #ABU pic.twitter.com/ZjzEu3cefb
— Jamie Sherwood (@torquay3jay) October 21, 2015
“I haven’t had a chance to let it all sink in just yet,” Evans told futsalfocus.net. “Whenever anyone mentions it I can’t help but smile and get all excited.
“I know it’s going to be an incredible experience, a big learning curve and will definitely push me out of my comfort zone being in a different country. The league itself will be very challenging, which I look forward to as I love being busy.”
Evans – who will defer her studies for a year while in Italy – played football and futsal for the University of Bath Women’s Football Club and also represented Yeovil Town Ladies in the FA Women’s Super League.
She flew out to Italy on Thursday and will be joined at Sinnai by Brazil’s Vanessa Pereira, voted three times as the world’s best futsal player.
Read the rest of Alice Evans’ interview with Fustal Focus here