“Remember the name,” heeded the A-League commentators, who were certain a star had been born after Holly McNamara scored a wonderful goal on her top-flight debut for Melbourne City in 2021.
It turns out they had every right to be.
For McNamara would go on to record a further 57 goal contributions over the next 65 games - staggering numbers which have brought about a move to Everton and the Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) at the age of 23.
Credit: Everton Football Club
It is a signing which has stirred the Everton fanbase, who are ready to throw their weight behind McNamara in her quest to become the next No. 9 to sparkle on the hallowed turf of Goodison Park.
And she has every chance, provided quality service comes her way.
That’s where Jutta Rantala comes in - the Finland international having followed in McNamara’s footsteps by joining the Toffees from Leicester City in July.
Credit: Everton Football Club
Having played alongside Everton trio Ruby Mace, Yuka Momiki and Hannah Cain at Leicester, Rantala will be hoping those pre-existing relationships will enable her to hit the ground running on Merseyside.
But the prospect of a new, fruitful connection developing between Rantala and McNamara will most excite Everton boss Scott Phelan, who is hoping the pair can transform his side’s attack in 2026-27.
McNamara and Rantala can elevate Everton’s counter-attack
With the third-lowest average possession (45.1 per cent) yet the most goals scored from direct attacks (3) last season, it is fair to say Everton relied on fast transitions.
And while Phelan will want to slowly improve Everton’s share of the ball in the upcoming campaign, the good news is that, for the time being, McNamara is a striker who thrives on the counter.
The Australian is a master at playing on the shoulder of the last defender, biding her time for the right through ball to arrive.
And when it does, as you can see from the two screenshots, she is a tenacious runner and has made the chipped finish her signature.
“I would like to be known as a fighter,” McNamara told Everton’s official website following her arrival. “I think that's a good trait to have, and it is something the club has as well. You can see that with all the history and everything the club has done.”
Many of the through balls which fed McNamara at Melbourne came from the middle of the pitch - an area where Everton are well-stocked thanks to Aurora Galli, Clare Wheeler, Rosa van Gool, Honoka Hayashi and Karen Holmgaard.
However, Rantala takes things to the next level, for she is arguably the most two-footed player on the planet, let alone in the BWSL.
Excellent at receiving the ball under pressure, the 26-year-old is then able to speed up attacks because she is not looking to work possession onto a particular foot – a nightmare scenario for opposition defenders.
As you can see from the two screenshots, Rantala uses both feet to deliver the kind of passes McNamara craves.
Rantala’s passing range can open up other supply lines for McNamara
When the counter-attack is not on, however, Rantala can also enhance Everton’s possession game this season.
The Blues regularly attacked down the sides in 2025-26, funnelling 24.6 per cent of their possession towards the left flank (second highest) and 24.2 per cent towards the right (fifth highest).
To get into those areas last season, Everton were patient, using short, sideways passes involving several players.
However, Rantala is skilled when it comes to playing long, diagonal balls – a weapon that can allow Everton to get two of their best players - Momiki and Ornella Vignola - into more threatening positions, and fast.
These two screenshots demonstrate how Rantala was able to wriggle away from the Arsenal defence before creating a one-v-one situation for Leicester.
“I want to bring a lot of goals and assists,” Rantala told Everton’s official website after joining. “I am a pretty technical player, so I hope I can bring that and play well together with other players and show my experience. I play in mostly attacking roles: winger, as a 10 and leading the line. I would say I am good at shooting with both feet and I like to score from distance.”
And in the event that Momiki and Vignola are unable to score themselves from Rantala’s quick switches of play, the two wingers can instead look to isolate opposition full-backs before putting the ball on a plate for McNamara.
While the Sydney-born forward didn’t score too many headers for Melbourne, she made great runs towards either post when latching onto low crosses.
As you can see from these two screenshots, McNamara feinted one way before peeling off her marker to earn a tap-in at the back post.
Everton are strong from set-pieces - but Rantala can add variety
While Everton recorded the fourth-lowest goal total (25) in the BWSL last season, they did convert five set-plays – with only five teams posting a better return.
And with Rantala in their ranks, Everton can improve on that number this season, with the attacker having registered set-piece assists with either foot – a complete anomaly in modern football.
These screenshots show Rantala recording a free-kick assist with her left foot and a corner assist with her right – the first in the Women’s FA Cup and the second in the BWSL, both in the 23-24 campaign with Leicester.
Should Rantala take a few corners for Everton, that could allow last season’s taker - 25-26 BWSL Player of the Season nominee Mace – to occasionally position herself outside the box, pouncing on clearances and sustaining attacks for her side.
And that would no doubt benefit McNamara, who will look to profit from the press-resistant Mace and her superb passing range as she attempts to score as many goals as possible in her first season with Everton.
