Lyon Star Ada Hederberg Signs Groundbreaking 10-Year Nike Deal

Lyon star Ada Hederberg has signed a groundbreaking 10-year deal endorsement deal with Nike, in a first for women's football.

Hederberg is widely regarded as one of the finest players in the world, winning the inaugural Ballon d'Or Femin in 2018 and being named BBC Women's Footballer of the Year on two occasions.

She has not represented her national team Norway since 2017 in protest over how they treat the women's side, forcing her to miss the 2019 Women's World Cup.

According to Forbes, Hederberg has left her previous sponsors Puma for Nike and has been given a lucrative 10-year deal - a real rarity in the women's game.

The deal is reported to earn the striker an annual six-figure salary. According to SportsStar, it is worth in excess of €1m.

Hederberg told Forbes: "For me personally, this is a groundbreaking step in my career.

“I feel like Nike has inspired millions of people in sports and they're kind of the game changer in sports when it comes to lifting the women in sports as well and setting the bar, you could say.

"And hopefully this partnership can write history again back on the pitch when I'm back again.”

Hederberg missed the back end of the 2019/20 season after rupturing her ACL in January, and she has started returning to training during lockdown.

Since her injury, Lyon have been handed the Femine Division 1 title after the league was curtailed as a result of the coronavirus.

Hederberg joined Lyon in 2014, and she has gone on to score 216 goals in 177 appearances for the club, winning five French titles and four Champions Leagues in the process.

Prior to stepping away from the national team, the 24-year-old had scored 38 times in 66 appearances. In 2016, she became the first Norwegian woman in 20 years to win the Norwegian Golden Ball - Norway's player of the year award.