Introduction
Gabriëlla Maria "Manon" Melis ([ɣaːbriˈɛlaː maːˈriaː maːˈnɔn ˈmeːlɪs]; born 31 August 1986) is a former Dutch professional footballer who last played as a forward for the Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League. Melis has spent most of her career playing in the Swedish Damallsvenskan. At international level, since making her debut in 2004, she has won over 100 caps. She is the daughter of former Feyenoord and ADO Den Haag player Harry Melis. After her playing career Melis became manager girl football development at Feyenoord.
Playing career
Club
Damallsvenskan, 2010–2015
Melis was the Damallsvenskan top-scorer in 2010 and 2011, playing for LdB Malmö. She won the Damallsvenskan's awards for top footballer and top forward in 2010.
In November 2011 she announced she was moving from Malmö to Sky Blue FC in the American Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league. In her last match she helped LdB secure a spot in Champions League quarterfinals with a goal. Before Melis could play for Sky Blue the WPS suspended operations, so she returned to Sweden to sign for Linköpings FC. Two seasons with Linköpings both yielded 16 goals in 21 Damallsvenskan appearances. Melis agreed a return to Malmö in December 2012.
Melis collected another league winner's medal with Malmö in 2013, before receiving a lucrative contract offer from Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC which she felt unable to turn down.
Seattle Reign, 2016
After two seasons at Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC, Melis signed with Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League for the 2016 season. Of her signing, Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey said, "Manon is a fantastic talent who will bring something new to our attack next season. We're thrilled to have a player with her experience and consistent record of success at the highest levels of club and international football join our club next season."
International
Melis scored on her debut for the senior Netherlands women's national football team in April 2004, a 3–0 win over Belgium in Leuven. She represented the Netherlands in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying rounds and the UEFA Women's Euro 2009 finals. In August 2010 Melis scored twice against Belarus, her 29th and 30th international goals, which made her the national team's all-time top goalscorer.
Melis scored four goals in the 6–0 won UEFA Women's EURO 2013 qualification opening match for The Netherlands against Serbia on 21 September 2011, stating, "It is a great feeling to score four goals, I had never done that before for the national team."
In June 2013, national team coach Roger Reijners selected Melis in the Netherlands squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden.
In March 2016, Melis announced her retirement from international play.
International goals
- Scores and results list the Netherlands goal tally first.
| International goals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 25 April 2004 | Den Dreef, Leuven, Belgium |  Belgium |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2005 UEFA Women's Euro qualification |
| 2. | 12 October 2005 | Oosterenkstadion, Zwolle, Netherlands |  Switzerland |
5–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 3. | 21 February 2007 | Mitsubishi Forklift Stadion, Almere, Netherlands |  Italy |
2–0 | 2–0 | |
| 4. | 14 March 2007 | County Ground, Swindon, England |  England |
1–0 | 1–0 | |
| 5. | 9 May 2007 | Herti Allmend Stadion, Zug, Switzerland | Switzerland |
1–0 | 2–2 | 2009 UEFA Women's Euro qualification |
| 6. | 26 August 2007 | Veronica Stadium, Volendam, Netherlands |  Wales |
1–0 | 2–1 | |
| 7. | 1 October 2007 | Mitsubishi Forklift Stadion, Almere, Netherlands |  France |
1–4 | 1–4 | Friendly |
| 8. | 27 January 2008 | Frank Cooke Park, Dublin, Ireland |  Republic of Ireland |
1–0 | 1–1 | |
| 9. | 20 February 2008 | Newport Stadium, Newport, Wales | Wales |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2009 UEFA Women's Euro qualification |
| 10. | 23 April 2008 | Patrostadion, Maasmechelen, Belgium | Belgium |
2–2 | 2–2 | |
| 11. | 30 August 2008 | Den Haag Stadion, The Hague, Netherlands | Switzerland |
1–0 | 1–1 | |
| 12. | 27 September 2008 | Kras Stadion, Volendam, Netherlands | Belgium |
1–0 | 3–0 | |
| 13. | 2–0 | |||||
| 14. | 5 March 2009 | Makario Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Russia |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2009 Cyprus Cup |
| 15. | 2–1 | |||||
| 16. | 12 March 2009 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  South Africa |
1–0 | 5–0 | |
| 17. | 3–0 | |||||
| 18. | 11 July 2009 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands | Switzerland |
2–0 | 5–0 | Four Nations Cup |
| 19. | 15 July 2009 |  China PR |
2–4 | 2–4 | ||
| 20. | 8 August 2009 | Koning Willem II Stadion, Tilburg, Netherlands |  Poland |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 21. | 29 August 2009 | Lahden Stadion, Lahti, Finland |  Denmark |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2009 UEFA Women's Euro |
| 22. | 29 October 2009 | Oosterenkstadion, Zwolle, Netherlands |  North Macedonia |
3–0 | 13–1 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 23. | 24 February 2010 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Scotland |
1–0 | 4–1 | 2010 Cyprus Cup |
| 24. | 3–1 | |||||
| 25. | 26 February 2010 | Ammochostos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus |  New Zealand |
1–1 | 1–1 | |
| 26. | 3 March 2010 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | Switzerland |
1–0 | 4–0 | |
| 27. | 22 April 2010 | Gradski Stadion, Kumanovo, Macedonia | North Macedonia |
5–0 | 7–0 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 28. | 19 June 2010 | Oosterenkstadion, Zwolle, Netherlands |  Norway |
1–0 | 2–2 | |
| 29. | 21 August 2010 | Haradzki Stadium, Maladzechna, Belarus |  Belarus |
2–0 | 4–0 | |
| 30. | 3–0 | |||||
| 31. | 2 March 2011 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | New Zealand |
2–0 | 4–1 | 2011 Cyprus Cup |
| 32. | 3–0 | |||||
| 33. | 4 March 2011 | Ammochostos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | France |
2–1 | 2–1 | |
| 34. | 18 May 2011 | De Koel, Venlo, Netherlands |  North Korea |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 35. | 24 August 2011 | Hohhot City Stadium, Hohhot, China | China PR |
1–0 | 1–0 | |
| 36. | 21 September 2011 | TATA Steel Stadion, Velsen-Zuid, Netherlands |  Serbia |
1–0 | 6–0 | 2013 UEFA Women's Euro qualification |
| 37. | 3–0 | |||||
| 38. | 5–0 | |||||
| 39. | 6–0 | |||||
| 40. | 22 October 2011 | Gradski stadion, Vrbovec, Croatia |  Croatia |
1–0 | 3–0 | |
| 41. | 28 February 2012 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | Italy |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2012 Cyprus Cup |
| 42. | 5 April 2012 | De Koel, Venlo, Netherlands |  Slovenia |
3–1 | 3–1 | 2013 UEFA Women's Euro qualification |
| 43. | 20 June 2012 | Stadion Srem Jakovo, Jakovo, Serbia | Serbia |
1–0 | 4–0 | |
| 44. | 2–0 | |||||
| 45. | 9 April 2013 | Kyocera Stadion, The Hague, Netherlands |  United States |
1–3 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 46. | 26 September 2013 | Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania |  Albania |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 47. | 2–0 | |||||
| 48. | 3–0 | |||||
| 49. | 23 November 2013 | Stadion Woudestein, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Greece |
4–0 | 7–0 | |
| 50. | 7 March 2014 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | Scotland |
3–4 | 3–4 | 2014 Cyprus Cup |
| 51. | 5 April 2014 | Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion, Greece | Greece |
1–0 | 6–0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 52. | 25 October 2014 | Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland | Scotland |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 53. | 30 October 2014 | Sparta Stadion, Rotterdam, Netherlands | Scotland |
2–0 | 2–0 | |
| 54. | 8 April 2015 | Strømmen Stadion, Strømmen, Norway | Norway |
2–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 55. | 30 May 2015 | York Stadium, Toronto, Canada |  Sweden |
1–0 | 1–2 | |
| 56. | 29 November 2015 | Kras Stadion, Volendam, Netherlands |  Japan |
2–0 | 3–1 | |
| 57. | 3–1 | |||||
| 58. | 2 March 2016 | Kyocera Stadion, The Hague, Netherlands | Switzerland |
1–1 | 4–3 | 2016 UEFA Women's Olympic qualification |
| 59. | 5 March 2016 | Het Kasteel, Rotterdam, Netherlands | Norway |
1–2 | 1–4 | |