<\/p>\n
Hayley Raso may have struggled to find game time in England at star-laden Manchester City but she’s still backing herself to glitter in the green-and-gold when it matters.<\/p>\n
There’s probably no player in the Matildas squad preparing for matches in London against Scotland on Friday and England next Tuesday who’s as eager to see action in these key pre-World Cup contests as this potentially game-changing winger.<\/p>\n
At a club packed with international talent, Raso, like teammate Mary Fowler, has found herself largely a bit-part player for much of the season, making only one start for City in the Women’s Super League, while making 10 appearances as an impact sub.<\/p>\n
With Australia, though, as she demonstrated by running the Spanish defence ragged in the Nations Cup triumph in February, the 68-time capped Raso remains a key attacking threat from the first whistle.<\/p>\n
And while admitting that her lack of minutes on the pitch has been a frustration, the 28-year-old reckons it has not affected her confidence in herself to deliver.<\/p>\n
Asked whether she was ready to make an impact at a home World Cup with the big show looming ever closer, Raso told reporters on Wednesday: “Absolutely. I feel like I am ready to go.<\/p>\n
“I feel like when the World Cup comes around, we’ll all be ready to go and firing. I hope to be a big player for the team at the World Cup.<\/p>\n
“I feel like I’m in a really high training environment (at Manchester City). I broke my hand recently, only missed a couple of games from that, but I’m training well, performing well when I’m on the pitch, definitely ready to go.<\/p>\n
“So, frustrating as it is in club football, not getting as many playing minutes as I’d like, I feel that when I come over to my national team, I’m getting a lot of minutes and doing well.<\/p>\n
“As soon as I put this shirt on to represent my country, I am in good form and ready to go.<\/p>\n
“I am a confidence player, I feel like I’ve been performing well in our recent games, keeping my training level high every single day. It’s nice to have (the ability) where I am able to come on and do something or turn a game around.”<\/p>\n
Tony Gustavsson’s side, now riding high in the world’s top-10, are hoping to stretch their seven-game winning streak at AFC Wimbledon’s stadium on Friday against the No.24-ranked Scots, who will be looking for a spark from Raso’s old City teammate Caroline Weir, now starring in attack for Real Madrid.<\/p>\n
“I was actually speaking about her with few of the girls earlier and I was saying she’s one of the best players I’ve ever trained with,” Raso said of Weir.<\/p>\n
“She’s an amazing footballer, technically so good. So it’d be really good to have this tough game and to get to play against her.”<\/p>\n
Talking of the “ebbs and flows” of the Matildas’ journey under Gustavsson, she made it sound as if Australia are peaking just right for July.<\/p>\n
“It’s really good to be coming into form at this point in time because we have the World Cup right around the corner.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n