(Reuters) - With professional opportunities thin on the ground, girls and women chasing dreams of playing soccer for New Zealand tend to develop more skills than running, passing and shooting to make ends meet.
Midfielder Malia Steinmetz has learnt the ins and outs of plumbing supplies, knows her way around a warehouse and worked as a cashier at a grocery while building her international career with New Zealand's"Football Ferns".
The 24-year-old plays for Western Sydney Wanderers in A-League Women, Australia's top tier competition where players will earn a minimum wage of A$25,000 next season, up from A$20,608 in the recently completed one. "I just hope it puts on the map a bit more for the young girls coming through - just seeing the opportunities as a career and that there is so much you can do with it," she said.
Apart from learning ancient history, archaeology and anthropology at university, Steinmetz realised how much she missed football during her six months out. It may be a tight window for the Ferns, who are ranked 25th in the world and are on a 10-match winless streak.
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