REPUBLIC OF IRELAND international Jess Ziu has joined WSL 2 side Bristol City on a season-long loan as she steps up her return from a second ACL injury.

Ziu makes the move from West Ham United, having signed for the WSL outfit from Shelbourne in 2022.

The 23-year-old midfielder is one of the most exciting young talents in Irish women’s football, but two ACL injuries have hampered her rise.

Ziu sustained her first serious knee injury in October 2022, spending 13 months on the sidelines and missing Ireland’s first-ever World Cup.

She shone on her return, but suffered the same cruel fate as she injured her other knee in a pre-season friendly last August. Ziu returned to the pitch in a behind closed doors friendly for West Ham earlier this month after almost a year out.

The Dubliner now heads to Bristol to “continue her development and gain some invaluable first-team exposure”. She joins former Ireland U19 captain Lia O’Leary at the club.

“I’m just excited to get on the pitch and meet all the fans,” said Ziu. “It’s a really exciting journey ahead for the WSL 2 and I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to Bristol City.”

Robins head coach Charlotte Healy added: “Jess is a fantastic player with great experience both domestically and internationally.

“Those experiences will help us this season and I’m so excited to see her back on the pitch after her injury.

“She’s an exciting player who I think the fans will really enjoy watching- we’re really excited to have a player of her calibre here on loan with us.”

Healy worked with Carla Ward’s Ireland for their friendlies against USA earlier this summer, before the former Manchester City assistant was named Bristol boss.

Ziu made her Ireland debut in 2018, and has since won 18 caps. She has 23 appearances for West Ham under her belt, having previously starred for Shelbourne.

Ziu in action in her most recent game for Ireland - against France at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in July 2024. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

After making her return to action as a 75th-minute substitute against Charlton Athletic last month, the Finglas native said:

“It’s hard to pinpoint one word to describe how I’m feeling. It’s been a long eleven-and-a-bit months, but I’ve had amazing people around me the whole way, so I’m really excited and a bit scared, but getting back on the pitch just helped me.

“I think I’m quite good at masking my feelings. I probably don’t show them a lot, but I think this ACL injury, compared to my first one, has been a lot harder [to recover from]. It was my other knee, so it was quite hard coming back from that and getting over certain barriers. But there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

“It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get here, but I’m just really proud of myself and everyone around me for helping me get here.”

Ziu becomes West Ham’s second Irish player on loan in WSL 2, with Jessie Stapleton playing for Nottingham Forest this season. Goalkeeper Megan Walsh is their other Irish international, one of 10 Girls In Green set for WSL action in 2025/26.