{"id":83804,"date":"2023-12-20T09:21:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T09:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/12\/20\/awkward-cleary-questions-shut-down-as-matildas-new-superstar-reflects-on-incredible-year\/"},"modified":"2023-12-20T09:21:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T09:21:00","slug":"awkward-cleary-questions-shut-down-as-matildas-new-superstar-reflects-on-incredible-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/12\/20\/awkward-cleary-questions-shut-down-as-matildas-new-superstar-reflects-on-incredible-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Awkward Cleary questions shut down as Matildas\u2019 new superstar reflects on \u2018incredible year\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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She\u2019s the 20-year-old global phenom who is set to be the face of Australian football for at least the next decade, and the enormity of the past 12 months is only just now starting to sink in for Mary Fowler as the Matildas star gets ready for a rare holiday over the Christmas break before things ramp up with a spot in the Olympics up for grabs. <\/p>\n

Life has moved quickly for the attacking genius who is with international powerhouse Manchester City.<\/p>\n

While she\u2019s still able to walk down the streets in the UK without being recognised by most people, it\u2019s a completely different story when she\u2019s back home, with Fowler swamped by adoring fans at the Rise & Shine Kindergarten in Carlton in Sydney\u2019s south.<\/p>\n

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Fowler was recently announced as an ambassador and immediately dazzled the crowd on a wet and windy day in Sydney. She reflected on everything that\u2019s happened this year, with the World Cup, international fame and appearing on the front cover of Marie Claire\u2019s Woman of the Year magazine.<\/p>\n

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Mary Fowler spent time with kids at the Rise &amp; Shine Kindergarten in Sydney. Picture: Richard Dobson<\/span>Source: News Corp Australia<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhen you start out, you don\u2019t really think too much about these things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never would have thought that I\u2019d get the opportunities that I do now, but as I\u2019ve got more opportunities being out in the spotlight a bit more, it\u2019s made me realise the kind of responsibilities that you have to all these people that are watching you.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always thought that the biggest way for me to inspire someone is for me being myself, so that\u2019s what I do when I\u2019m out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to be genuine, and if that makes someone want to go after a dream or smile, then that would make me happy.\u201d <\/p>\n

The star striker made her way back to Australia after returning to the UK to play for Manchester City, arriving in Sydney on an Emirates flight from Dubai on Tuesday night. <\/p>\n

Her arrival set tongues wagging as she was snapped getting picked up by Penrith Panthers captain Nathan Cleary, with the pair seen embracing and sharing a kiss.<\/p>\n

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Mary Fowler touched down in Sydney on Tuesday night. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE\/ Monique Harmer<\/span>Source: NCA NewsWire<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was feared the rumoured-couple would have to wait months to be reunited after it was announced last week that Fowler would no longer be appearing at a Matildas Open Air Live Event to be held on Thursday night. <\/p>\n

Instead, the star player kept her travel plans to return to Sydney and despite pulling out of the Matildas event, kept her commitments to Rise & Shine Kindergarten. <\/p>\n

Fowler was all smiles in the room full of kindergarteners but turned silent when questions turned to her personal life. <\/p>\n

Reporters keen to ask questions about the budding romance were quickly shut down by Matildas media team at the event, with interviews ending as soon as Cleary was mentioned by the media. <\/p>\n

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Fowler returns home after playing two international friendlies in Canada just weeks before. Photo: Instagram<\/span>Source: Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Australians have been desperate to find out the details of Fowler and Cleary\u2019s rumoured romance after they were spotted cosying up together at a Perth park last month. <\/p>\n

The last time the pair were together was on November 2 when Cleary farewelled Fowler at Perth Airport after the Matildas\u2019 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei the night before. <\/p>\n

Fowler and her Matildas teammates made all of Australia happy when the team reached the semi-finals at the home World Cup that was played in front of record crowds and watched by millions of people at home. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an incredible year. It\u2019s hard to put into words how big it\u2019s been,\u201d she said having emerged as one of Australia\u2019s most important attacking weapons, especially with Sam Kerr out injured.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t expect that (Australians to be so invested in women\u2019s football).<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the majority of us went into the World Cup not expecting that, but that was amazing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that was the best part of the World Cup, to see how many people got behind us and how together Australia came.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Fowler and her teammates have become some of the most popular athletes in Australia. Picture: James Worsfold\/Getty Images<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The noise around Accor Stadium when Kerr scored against England could have been heard in outer space, but the crowning moment for the Aussies came a few days earlier when they eliminated France in a pulsating penalty shootout.<\/p>\n

There were endless twists and turns on that night, with Fowler coolly slotting a penalty that sizzled into the bottom corner and showed just how poised she is on the biggest stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny because in the moment I just felt so sure that we were going to win,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt very calm and very prepared, and it\u2019s only when I watch it back that I feel stressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the moment, everyone had prepared so well and believed so when we did miss a couple of them (penalties), there was never any doubt that we\u2019d pull through in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Fowler will play a crucial role as the Matildas look to qualify for the Olympics. Picture: Adam Head<\/span>Source: News Corp Australia<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Trying to get tickets to Matildas games has been as difficult as trying to get to a Taylor Swift concert, and another massive crowd is expected to be there when they host Uzbekistan in February for a spot in next year\u2019s Olympics.<\/p>\n

Fowler played in the Tokyo Games that were delayed by the pandemic, and she wants another crack at a medal in Paris. <\/p>\n

The teams will compete over two legs, with plenty of intrigue over whether Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson will be there given he\u2019s been linked with the Swedish job. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe job\u2019s not done until it\u2019s done,\u201d Fowler said, not willing to talk about the coaching situation<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people just think about those games and think that it\u2019ll be a walkover for us, but you can\u2019t say that you\u2019re at the Olympics until you actually qualify.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be preparing for them and taking them seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

She\u2019s the 20-year-old global phenom who is set to be the face of Australian football for at least the next decade, and the enormity of the past 12 months is only just now starting to sink in for Mary Fowler as the Matildas star gets ready for a rare holiday over the Christmas break before […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":83805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[38990,1800,1641,38979,38971,83,1736,7632,7896,4071,17431,2064,1192,38982,38974,38969,38991,19575,3132,38986,1429,38970,147,726,38984,1425,38989,38987,38975,4143,1415,38968,4853,38980,23566,862,35214,1626,1533,1809,1427,1728,241,38973,3153,12008,17907,369,38967,20494,854,38978,38988,133,21531,38985,38983,38976,1019,38981,38977,4217,1856,1465,1847,1579,3150,38972,195,11263,25145],"class_list":{"0":"post-83804","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-adoring-fans","9":"tag-america","10":"tag-asia","11":"tag-attacking-genius","12":"tag-attacking-weapons","13":"tag-australia","14":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","15":"tag-australian-football","16":"tag-australian-women","17":"tag-back-home","18":"tag-bottom-corner","19":"tag-canada","20":"tag-champions-league","23":"tag-crowning-moment","24":"tag-dramatic-rollercoaster","25":"tag-dubai","26":"tag-emirates","27":"tag-endless-twists","28":"tag-europe","29":"tag-famous-athletes","30":"tag-football","31":"tag-france","32":"tag-front-cover","33":"tag-getty-images-inc","34":"tag-global-star","35":"tag-international-fame","36":"tag-international-powerhouse","37":"tag-james-worsfold","38":"tag-manchester-city-football-club","39":"tag-marie-claire","41":"tag-massive-crowd","42":"tag-matildas","43":"tag-melbourne","44":"tag-nathan-cleary","45":"tag-new-south-wales","46":"tag-north-america","47":"tag-northern-america","48":"tag-northern-europe","49":"tag-oceania","50":"tag-olympics","51":"tag-outer-space","52":"tag-paris","53":"tag-penalty-shootout","54":"tag-penrith-panthers","55":"tag-perth","56":"tag-popular-athletes","57":"tag-portuguese-side","58":"tag-premier-league","59":"tag-pulsating-penalty-shootout","60":"tag-rare-holiday","61":"tag-soccer","62":"tag-star-set","63":"tag-stardom","64":"tag-superb-composure","65":"tag-swedish-job","66":"tag-sydney","67":"tag-taylor-swift","68":"tag-things-ramp","69":"tag-tony-gustavsson","70":"tag-united-kingdom","71":"tag-victoria","72":"tag-western-asia","73":"tag-western-australia","74":"tag-western-europe","75":"tag-windy-day","76":"tag-world-cup","77":"tag-world-stage","78":"tag-young-fans"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83804"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83804\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}