Sydney FC defender Kirsty Fenton has agreed to terminate her contract with the club, stepping away from the game despite having two years remaining on her deal.
The 23-year-old ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament against Wellington Phoenix in March 2024 and spent a year in recovery before returning to the field in April 2025.
Fenton said the rehabilitation process had taken a toll on her enthusiasm for the game.
"After doing my ACL in 2024, I found the rehab took a lot out of me and I've since seen my level of motivation to play drop," she said.
She said she intended to use the time away to reset before resuming her career.
"I'm looking forward to taking this break, focusing my attention elsewhere and coming back in the future to resume my professional career," Fenton said.
Fenton thanked the club for backing her decision.
"Sydney FC have been so supportive of me making this decision, and I'm looking forward to re-discovering my passion for football again," she said.
Sydney FC Women's head coach James Slaveski said the club stood behind Fenton as she stepped away from the game.
"As a squad and a club we are supporting Kirsty in her decision to take a break, and we offer her all of our support during this time," Slaveski said.
Slaveski said Fenton would remain welcome at the club's Sky Park base.
"She will be welcome here at Sydney FC whenever she wants to train with the team and access the facilities here," he said.
Fenton had signed a two-year contract extension with Sydney FC when the club were reigning Liberty A-League champions, with the deal set to run until the end of the 2025-26 season.
She made 55 appearances for the club, scoring once, and was part of the side that won the Premiership and Championship double in the 2022-23 season. She added a second Championship with Sydney FC in 2023-24.
Fenton's departure leaves Sydney FC heading into the 2025-26 Liberty A-League season without one of the defenders who featured in both of its recent title-winning campaigns.