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'Here to win': Why CJ Bott wanted to come home to join the Phoenix
Kieran Bingham • August 8th, 2025 3:09 pm
Photo: Photosport
From the World Cup stage and the English Women’s Super League to the capital of Aotearoa, CJ Bott’s football journey has taken her across continents.
Now, in a move that brings things full circle, she’s back home - signing with the Wellington Phoenix ahead of the upcoming A-League Women’s season.
“Playing with the best players in the world is only going to benefit you,” Bott told Sport Nation’s Studs Up! Podcast.
“I went from strength to strength during my time at Leicester. I think I have become a lot more refined in the way that I play, and I think my defensive ability is definitely going to go well in the A-League, especially with the level of physicality.
"I am pretty excited to get underway and showcase what I have got. It’s really special.
“To be able to play professionally in my hometown is something I never really dreamed of, but at the same time kind of feels like a dream come true.”
The 29-year-old defender arrives with serious pedigree. A veteran of multiple FIFA Women’s World Cups and fresh off a stint in the world’s top league with Leicester City, Bott adds quality, experience, and grit to a Phoenix side that is clearly shifting its focus from development to contention.
“It was the ambition the club was showing,” she explains.
“Obviously what playing in Wellington gives me on a personal level as well. But with Bev as well, I love her style of play. I love how she’s led Canada the last few years. It is definitely a style of football that excites me and is something I want to be a part of.”
With Bev Priestman now head coach of the Phoenix women, Bott says it was clear this was a club building something serious.
Photo: Marty Melville/Photosport
“You can definitely see the club wants to win titles, and I’m all about that. I am here to win as well.”
Bott is already impressed by what she’s walked into - not just in terms of culture and coaching, but facilities too.
“They are pretty incredible, I won’t lie. You can tell there’s been a lot of research and thought that’s gone into NZCIS (New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport).
"I was pretty lucky at Leicester. We had some really awesome facilities, very much women-specific. But the NZCIS is state of the art.
“It’s new, it’s fresh, it has everything you could possibly need. I think a lot of teams around the world will be pretty jealous, that’s for sure.”
Beyond her own experience, Bott sees this return as part of a wider shift in the game, especially for young New Zealanders coming through now.
“It’s a completely different game,” she says.
“For any young girls starting out now, the ambition they can have is so much greater than what I had growing up. I didn’t really have any opportunities.
"I remember thinking yes, I want to play for New Zealand one day, but even when I got into the national team, I did not think playing professionally was much of an option to be honest, especially being so far away from Europe.”
Photo: Photosport
Today, that has changed. The A-League provides a genuine professional pathway, and Bott believes the Phoenix is setting the bar high in how they approach their recruitment and long-term planning.
“They have been really thoughtful in terms of recruitment. They look beyond what you might see from watching a game. They look at the leagues you have played in, the teams you have played in, how those teams have performed.
"There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes. They have recruited some really great players who I think are going to do awesome things in the league.”
As for the Football Ferns, Bott remains fiercely committed and optimistic - even after the sting of New Zealand’s early exit from the 2023 World Cup on home soil.
“It was definitely pretty painful. As much as we did perform relatively well, the goal was to get out of the group. To have not done that still pains me to this day and it forever will.”
But she sees a bright future ahead.
“There has been a lot of progression from the girls in the squad. More are getting into strong leagues and strong teams, which is awesome. A few years ago, there were very few players in professional overseas environments. They are definitely investing a lot into younger players now, which I think is awesome.
"We need to really put time into developing those players and progressing their careers. If we can continue doing that, the Ferns have a really exciting future.”
For CJ Bott, the immediate future is all about Wellington. It is her home, her next challenge, and a place where she finally gets to play the game she loves in front of the people who matter most.
And this time, she is not just here to be part of it.
She is here to win.
Listen to the Studs Up! Podcast:
