Young Matildas star, Alexia Apostolakis, has opened up on how much it means to make her debut for Melbourne City.
The 18-year-old joined the Club in July this year, before making her starting debut for City in the team’s first ever AFC Women’s Champions League fixture.
Solid at the back, Apostolakis slotted into the heart of defence seamlessly as City defeated Bam Khatoon FC 2-1 to kick-off the Group Stage with three points.
“It felt so amazing to make my debut for this awesome Club, watching it from an outside perspective over the last few years has been so amazing to watch, and being in this environment right now is something so special,” Apostolakis said.
“I’m really grateful to all the girls and all the staff here who have really supported me and pushed me into this role, and getting that win is just so amazing and I feel really part of the team.”
A strong partnership in the heart of defence
Match Day 1 saw Apostolakis form a strong partnership with City Captain, Rebekah Stott, at centre back. Following the match, the youngster spoke about the skipper’s influence.
“Stotty’s amazing, in the lead up to this game I was a bit nervous honestly coming to a new environment, but Stotty has embraced me so well and she’s taught me everything that I needed to be prepared for today,” she explained.
“I really, really admire her and the way she plays, and I look up to her as a role model. Getting to play with her on the field, she’s one of the best centre backs, so I can just learn from her so much.”
City will return to the pitch on Wednesday night (8:00pm local/12:00am AEDT) against College of Asian Scholars for the team’s second Group Stage fixture.
