Melbourne City midfielder Leah Davidson has reflected on the moment she found out she was selected for her first Senior Matildas camp.
A mainstay in City’s midfield over the past five years, Davidson was recognised for her reliability and consistency as a gritty defensive midfielder, named in the Matildas squad to take on Chinese Taipei in December.
Davidson spoke to the media following the announcement. Read her thoughts…
THE MOMENT
“Honestly, I was in the ice bath and we’d just finished training when I saw an email pop up and I was so excited. It’s always been a dream of mine to represent my country, so it was amazing to receive that email. I just called my family and friends and it was such a surreal moment for me.
READY FOR IT
“I’ve been working really hard in the off-season… the support I have here is incredible. From coaches, the S&C’s, the physio, the resources around me are just incredible.
“Obviously I’d just love to learn, learn from the players there, a lot of them are my role models and the way they play is incredible so I want to learn as much as I can and gain that experience to hopefully push for future camps. I’m ready for it and I’m excited.”
LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCED HEADS
“The likes of Stotty have experienced all of this, from Olympics to World Cups, so I’ll be asking for advice from a couple of them.
“It’s massive value [to learn from the likes of Rebekah Stott and Melissa Barbieri]… being at this club and the players that we bring in, the internationals, the Bubs, the Stottys, is just incredible.
“Playing with these individuals is invaluable. The amount of stuff I learn from Stotty, on and off the pitch, and Bubs obviously who’s a hero in the game… it’s amazing to take the field with these players.”
CITY JOURNEY
“This is my fifth season now at Melbourne City so it’s been a bit of a journey and I’ve enjoyed every single second of it.
“[When I found out] I just reflected on my journey at City, I think last year for me was a bit of a challenge and overcoming that, but I just reflected on my journey at City because that has really improved my skills and my confidence. The likes of Rado [Vidosic], Dario [Vidosic] and now Michael [Matricciani], plus all the resources, have helped me get this call up.”
An action-packed City Fan Festival, presented by Federation University, is coming your way at the City Football Academy Melbourne – ctrl:cyber Campus at Casey Fields on Saturday 16 November. Find out more and don’t miss it!
