Canberra United’s Amy Sayer has been selected in the Matildas squad to face Japan, Brazil and United States. Photo: Supplied.
“You are in the Matildas!”
That is the message Canberra United’s teenage star Amy Sayer has been dreaming about since she started playing football as a five-year-old.
Her dream is now a reality after an impressive debut season saw the 16-year-old selected in the Matildas squad to face football powerhouses Brazil, USA and Japan and defend its upcoming 2018 Tournament of Nations crown in the US.
“I received an official notice via email that I was in the squad for the Tournament of Nations but my mum saw the email first and texted me, saying ‘You are in the Matildas’,” Sayer said.
“I was very shocked but mostly excited to finally have a chance to be part of the team. I had to re-read the email so many times to realise that it really was happening and my dream of making my debut for the Matildas was going to come true.”
Since she was five-years-old, Sayer has wanted to be a footballer, even though her mother wanted her to be a ballerina. Sayer followed in her brother’s footsteps and started playing the round ball game for her local club Northbridge, where she fell in love with the sport.
It didn’t take long for the footballing whiz-kid to grab the eye of the national youth selectors, which saw her clinching the midfielder position at the age of 14, with call-ups to the under-17 and under-20 national teams.
Canberra United offered the teenager her first professional contract last season, where she showed her incredible potential, scoring her first goal against Perth Glory in November.
The humble and grounded teen said she wasn’t feeling overwhelmed about sharing the field with some of Australia’s finest footballers such as Samatha Kerr and Lisa De Vanna, and was just focused on playing her best.
“I just want to learn as much as I can from the coaches and from the older players and to just have a good time,” Sayer said.
“My goal is to just make my debut and to play as much as I am offered and just seize the opportunities I have been given so if I ever get the chance, I can come back into the squad.
“My ultimate goal is to break into the World Cup team but I am a younger player so I just want to be respectful to all the coaches and players and to enjoy it.”
The Matildas will kick off their 2018 Tournament of Nations campaign against Brazil on 26 July.
Tournament of Nations – Brazil vs Australia (July 26) USA vs Australia (July 29) Australia vs Japan (August 2)
All three of the Matildas’ matches at the 2018 Tournament of Nations will be broadcasted live and exclusive on Foxsports.
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