Liverpool complete signing of Marie-Therese Höbinger

Liverpool FC Women have completed the transfer of Marie-Therese Höbinger from FC Zurich in what could be an inspired, low-key piece of business.

Who is Marie-Therese Höbinger?

Höbinger, 22, and known as "Höbi", is a versatile midfielder and a regular for the Austrian national team.

To date, she has made 29 appearances for her country, scoring seven goals and featuring at the Euros last year.

She moved to Germany at age 13, enrolling in Turbine Potsdam's celebrated youth set-up. In 2019, she made her senior debut but found regular starting minutes hard to come by. Having seen her career stagnate somewhat at the turmoil-stricken Frauen-Bundesliga club – who have since been relegated – she joined Zurich initially on loan in January 2022 where she immediately helped her new side do the domestic double. This prompted Zurich to make the move permanent.

Last term, she enjoyed the best goalscoring season of her career, having found the net nine times in 15 games, being nominated for the Swiss Super League's Player of the Season award and firing her club to another league title.

Yet scoring goals isn't even necessarily what makes her such an exciting prospect and her impressive tally can be explained by the level of the Swiss league, which isn't quite as high as that of the English WSL or even the Frauen-Bundesliga. Indeed, during her time in Germany, Höbinger only scored a handful of goals at the senior level.

What position does she play?

Rather than a natural goalscorer, she's a creative, all-action midfielder, who can play both in a more attacking role as well as a bit deeper in the centre of the park, though she's not a six.

What has she said?

Speaking to LFC TV following her move, the club's new number 14 said: "I think I'm technically a strong player. I really like ball possession, moving the ball forward and creating chances. I like to play line-breaking, opening passes, so I really like the offensive game."

Though not a world-beater, Höbinger is a reliable and driven creative player who will unfailingly get some goals and assists over the course of a season. It will be interesting to see how she will acclimatise to the demands of the WSL, but she certainly has the potential to become an important cog in Liverpool's midfield.