Janine van Wyk: Banyana defender joins Fortuna Hjorring

Danish outfit Fortuna Hjorring has secured the services of Janine van Wyk from South Africa's Sasol Women's League side JVW FC.

On Saturday, JVW announced that the veteran defender flew to Denmark to finalise her contract with Carrie Kveton's side.

The breakthrough is happening a few weeks after her Bedfordview-based side participated in the 2019 Dana Cup, and is part of its strategy to establish a partnership with the Hjorring-based outfit.

Van Wyk's switch comes 12 years after the Banyana defender's botched trial at the Danish club in 2007, before another failed move to Bristol City in 2012.

Following the development, South Africa's most-capped player was elated with the opportunity to test herself in Europe and also excel with the Danish top-flight side.

Before now, she previously had a two-year stint with Houston Dash in the USA's National Women’s Soccer League, which expired in January 2019.

She led South Africa to a maiden Women's World Cup outing in France in June, before picking up a knee injury on the nation's route to a Cosafa Women's Cup triumph recently.

Having joined Fortuna, the 32-year-old faces the prospect of making her Women's Champions League debut in September, thereby joining a list of South Africans to achieve such feat.

Others to have featured in the competition are Letago Madiba, Rachel Sebati, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Nothando Vilakazi and Rhoda Mulaudzi.

She has now taken the tally of Banyana stars plying their trade abroad to 11 and six in Europe, and will also feature in the Round of 32 of the Champions League alongside Minsk's Letago Madiba and Rachel Sebati.

Van Wyk will be hoping to recover in time to make her long-awaited debut in the European biggest women's club competition against Albania's Vllaznia next month.