Waterford FC are delighted to announce the signing of Anna Gornell, who becomes our third new signing ahead of the 2026 SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division.
Gornell makes the move to the RSC as a full international with Latvia, where she has amassed an impressive 27 caps for her country since her debut against England in 2021.
Born in the United States, the central midfielder played college football for Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in Oklahoma for three years, before signing for Sundsvalls DFF in Sweden in 2021.
After 11 appearances in Sweden, the 28 year-old moved to Austria where she signed for FC Dornbirn, before then signing for Greek giants PAOK where she made 15 appearances across all competitions.
While playing in Europe, Anna has also experienced success in winning titles with her last three clubs, the most recent as vice-captain with Riga FC. She has also played in the UEFA Champions League qualification stages.
Now with the Blues for 2026, Anna gave us her first thoughts of the club as we prepare for next week’s season opener against Wexford FC:
“I am so grateful & happy to have joined Waterford FC for this upcoming season. I have always wanted to play in Ireland, and I’m really grateful for this opportunity. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together as a team this season”.
Blues Head Coach Gary Hunt is delighted to welcome Anna to the club, outlining how important her experience can be for the side in 2026, saying:
Anna came on our radar late in pre-season but I am delighted to welcome her on board as our first international player to sign for the club. This model has been used by many sides in the league and although it is not something we set out to explore, this fit seems right for all involved.
Anna has had great experiences and success in the game over the last few years and bringing those experiences to this group will be a huge benefit to help our young players as we compete again in the Women’s Premier Division for 2026.
Having got to know Anna over the last few weeks, I can see how invested she is in the game, through watching, supporting & playing football and I am sure on top of her ability this will wear off on the other players about how to live the life of a footballer over many seasons at the top in each country she has played not to mention having amassed almost 30 senior international appearances.
I am sure players like Anna will become great role models for the next generation of footballers in the region also.”
