Rebekah Stott returns to New Zealand squad less than a year after cancer diagnosis

Stott rejoined Melbourne City last summer after announcing that her cancer was in remission

Defender Rebekah Stott has returned to the New Zealand squad less than a year after revealing she had been diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The 28-year-old said last March that she would need to go through four months of chemotherapy to treat the blood cancer.

In July, the former Brighton player announced her cancer was in remission.

Stott has now earned a recall to Jitka Klimkova's squad for this month's SheBelieves Cup in the USA.

Stott joined Brighton from Melbourne City in September 2020, but was forced to return to Australia five months later, receiving confirmation of her diagnosis while still in Covid-19 quarantine.

Her treatment meant she missed the Tokyo Olympics but she learned on the day of New Zealand's opening fixture of the Games against Australia in July that she was in remission, and returned to action for the first time since her diagnosis for lower-league Australian club Bulleen Lions the same month.

Having returned to Melbourne City last summer, Stott has been included in the 23-player New Zealand squad for the invitational SheBelieves Cup, which also features hosts the USA, Iceland and the Czech Republic, starting on 17 February.

"This goes beyond football," said Klimkova. "Very few players have gone through what she has and returned to international football.

"She is a fighter. We all hoped and believed she would come back, and watching her performances each week for Melbourne City has shown what a role model she is.

"She means so much to this team and we're honoured to have her back."