For many young footballers, playing professionally overseas is the ultimate dream. For Cece Los, that dream is now a reality, with the Victorian defender securing her first professional contract with Dutch club FC Twente Women.
Cece’s rise to the professional ranks may be viewed as rapid by some, having made eight Senol NPLW Victoria appearances this year for Melbourne City and two in 2025 for the FV Academy, but her journey has been nothing short of incredible - a story built on resilience, patience and perseverance.
Having grown up in Australia, Cece said it is “crazy how things change so quickly”, already beginning to settle into her new life 16,000 km away.
“Six months ago, I wasn’t really expecting any of this, and now I’m here,” she said.
The seeds of Cece’s European journey were planted six months ago when she decided to combine a family trip to the Netherlands with an opportunity to test herself at a higher level.
“I was in Year 12, and I thought it would be a really good opportunity and an experience to get over there and see what the level was like,” she said.
“We were planning to come over to see family anyway, so we thought, ‘Why not get some training experience while we’re there?’”
After sending through game footage and making contact with clubs, she travelled overseas to trial and gain her first taste of European football.
“I spent two weeks at my first club and then 10 days at Twente, which was the complete package as an experience,” she said.
“At the first club, I only ended up training for three days because of extreme snow. Mentally, it was a really challenging week. I felt quite isolated, got inside my own head, and put a lot of pressure on myself. Going into the trial, I was already convinced that I had to come away with an offer.
"Looking back, that was definitely the wrong mindset to have. If you're not enjoying the experience, you start overthinking everything and stop processing what's actually happening around you
“The trial didn't go exactly as I'd hoped, but I still learnt so much, not just on the pitch, but about myself. In the end, I was grateful to take those lessons with me.”
Arriving at FC Twente, Cece approached the trial with a different mindset, a shift that ultimately paid dividends.
“I just had the mindset of, ‘This is an experience. These girls are playing at the highest level. They had just come off playing Champions League football,’” she said.
“I thought, ‘You’re going to learn so much in these next 10 days. Just try to absorb it all and give your best.’
“I ended up having a lot of fun.
“It’s not just about being a good footballer; your character comes into it so much.
“It’s about how you interact with the girls, whether you’re smiling at everyone, whether you’re friendly to the staff. All of those little things play such a big part in not only how they view you, but also in your mindset going into each training session, which is what allows you to play with freedom.”
As the trial progressed, the conversations between Cece and the club began to shift, with FC Twente exploring the possibility of her making the move overseas.
“We started by talking about my logistical situation in Australia, whether I was still at school, I had a passport and whether I was tied to an A-League contract, which I wasn't. The conversation then shifted to whether I was even open to taking the step and moving overseas,” she said.
“When I trialled, they were halfway through their season, so they suggested I go back to Melbourne City until the European pre-season a few months later.
“Then, by around May, that’s when the process really started to take off. Now I’m here. It’s all gone very quickly. It’s been a very fast six months, but I’m here now.”
Having Dutch heritage has helped ease the transition, but Cece knows moving to the other side of the world will bring a new set of challenges.
“It definitely helped (Dutch heritage), but most importantly being able to speak the language, means that I’m not coming into the country completely unfamiliar, and gives me extra confidence to put myself out there, mould into the team and make friendships.”
“Moving countries is a big step. It’s not just football. There are so many things that come with it.”
“There’s the logistics, moving away from family, adapting to a new culture and a new environment. The club has been really patient and supportive with that, and I’m really grateful for how they’ve helped me through the process.”
Long before her move to Europe, Cece’s football journey began at South Melbourne, where she developed the foundations of her game and credits the club with shaping the player she is today.
“I started playing football at school when I was five or six, and after falling in love with the game, I joined South Melbourne, which was close to home.”
She remained at South Melbourne until she earned her opportunity within the Football Victoria NTC (FV Academy) program.
“Looking back, South Melbourne totally shaped the mental side of the player I am today,” she stated.
“I learned a lot about leadership as a young girl. I had really great coaches, a great group of girls and what felt like a great sense of community.
“For me, that is why I play. Football always comes back to that sense of community and family. South Melbourne provided that for me at that time in my life.”
Her move into NTC provided a new challenge, helping her develop the tactical side of her game and continue growing as a player.
“By the time I moved to NTC, I was ready for a more professional approach to football,” Cece said.
“NTC is where I learned everything I needed to know about being a centre back. The first few years were very technical, learning how to drive, dribble, improve your first touch and build those foundations. Then it became more tactical, understanding how to play as a centre back.”
After reaching a milestone in her young career with selection in a Junior Matildas camp in 2023, Cece faced her toughest challenge yet, suffering a serious back injury that would keep her away from football for over a year.
“My back injury happened when I was 15. I had just come back from a Junior Matildas camp, which was a really high-intensity week of training. Straight after that, I played 90 minutes for my school team and then another 90 minutes for my club team back-to-back.
"When I went to sit down in the car after the second game, I couldn't get back up. I'd been dealing with back pain for a while, but because I was tall and had grown so quickly, I just assumed it was normal growing pains or something related to my menstrual cycle. I ended up having chronic bilateral fractures in my L5/L4, a disc protrusion, and, for my height and size, just a really overworked back," she recounted.
“I spent nine months, three weeks and two days without touching a football.”
The injury taught Cece valuable lessons about preparation, strength and the importance of looking after her body; lessons she hopes can help inspire the next generation of young players.
“I was really skinny and lanky, and I didn’t have the strength base to support the load I was putting on my body. It really came down to a lack of strength,” she said.
“I worked with Kate McGillivray, Tim Schleiger and his team, along with the FVA, who took me from this skinny 14-year-old girl to being able to perform the way I am now.
“I have more of a senior women’s football physique now. That transformation is something that shouldn’t be underestimated.”
After returning from injury, Cece rebuilt her confidence through the FV Academy Under 20s program before making her NPLW debut in Round 21 in 2025 against Boroondara Eagles.
“That year was really about finding myself again,” she said.
“I was able to explore my identity as a centre back. I wasn’t worried about making mistakes. I was able to experiment and learn.
“I would have loved to have been in the seniors, but the reality was that I wasn’t good enough yet.
“I had my injury, and I wasn’t at the level I needed to be at. Instead of accepting that negatively, I just kept working.”
After the FV Academy program was discontinued, Cece joined Melbourne City ahead of the 2026 season, with her time in the Academy’s Under 20s program providing a solid platform to transition into senior football.
“Melbourne City was my first real experience of senior football,” she said.
“I learned about defending from a team perspective, not just tactically but mentally.”
Now preparing for life in Europe, she is focused on learning and becoming part of her new environment.
“Short term, it’s actually less about football and more about embedding myself into the team,” she said.
“I play my best football when I feel like I’m part of something, when I feel like we have a shared identity and we’re all working towards the same thing.”
Despite her meteoric rise, the 18-year-old is still focused on enjoying the opportunity and taking her journey one day at a time.
“I think success is about improving 1% every day,” she said.
“I have goals for every week and every training session. If I improve 1% every day, over a year that adds up fast.”
For young footballers hoping to follow a similar pathway, Cece’s message is simple.
“If you love football, keep going,” she said.
“Don’t give up because your pathway doesn’t look exactly how you imagined. There will be ups and downs, but those moments can become some of your biggest learning experiences.
“Everyone has a different journey.
“Just keep improving, keep enjoying it and keep believing in yourself.”