Matildas star Mary Fowler ready to leave her mark on the Asian Cup – despite a few recent ‘little bumps along the road’

Matildas star Mary Fowler has credited the Australian heat for helping defrost her ‘frozen’ knees, adding her time out of the game after an ACL injury was the break she needed.

Fowler, 23, looms as a key figure in Australia’s bid to win the Women’s Asian Cup for the first time since 2010, with the Matildas’ campaign beginning against the Philippines in Perth on March 1.

There were grave fears Fowler would miss the showpiece tournament on home soil when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee while playing for Manchester City in April last year.

But after spending just over nine months on the sidelines, Fowler – who dates NRL superstar Nathan Cleary – made her return as a 75th-minute substitute in a 5-1 FA Cup win over Chelsea in early February.

Fowler spent another three weeks on the sidelines after that before being handed a start on February 22 in the FA Cup against Sheffield United.

Although lacking match fitness, she is confident of making an impact at the Asian Cup.

Fowler looms as a key figure in Australia’s bid to win the Women’s Asian Cup for the first time since 2010, with the Matildas’ campaign beginning against the Philippines in Perth on March 1

‘After getting my first minutes against Chelsea, I then had a few little bumps along the road, so I missed a couple of games,’ she said.

‘But then last weekend (February 22) I had my first start. So that was really good for the confidence and really good to just see how the body feels during a game, but also pulling up (well) afterwards.

‘I feel good being here (in Perth). And I think the heat’s really going to help because half the issue is my knees being frozen (due to the cold in England). So just excited to be out there.’

Fowler, who has scored 16 goals from 63 Matildas appearances, was just 20 when she announced herself as a star of the future with a series of dazzling displays at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

But being in the spotlight combined with the grind of day-to-day football soon took its toll.

It meant when Fowler injured her knee, it was easy for her to see the silver lining.

‘Because I’ve been playing football for so many years, it becomes such a routine,’ Fowler added.

‘I think it’s easy to lose the joy in it when you’re just doing the same thing over and over again.

‘So I think for me, whenever I’ve had time away from the sport, it’s always given me a fresh perspective on how lucky I am to be playing it and doing it as a job.

‘So having this time out it’s allowed me to just mentally also have a bit of a break.’

For viewers based in Australia, Network 10 will show every Matildas game during the Asian Cup live.

Streaming service Paramount+ will broadcast every game of the tournament.