June 22, 2026 — 3:30pmMatildas star Mary Fowler says she has no intention of leaving Manchester City any time soon after making a successful recovery from an ACL injury, while backing her “perfectionist” partner Nathan Cleary to bounce back in the State of Origin decider and the Socceroos to respond to their World Cup defeat to the United States.In a rare media appearance in Sydney on Monday, Fowler was asked about her interaction with Cleary in the NSW Blues sheds after NSW’s 44-24 loss in Origin II last week, which was picked up by television cameras.Mary Fowler poses with players from the Southern Districts Raiders at a Weet-Bix event in Moorebank on MondaySitthixay DitthavongCleary had an off night in attack and defence, and has vowed to make amends in game three at Suncorp Stadium on July 8.“Honestly, it was just support,” Fowler said. “I’m proud of him no matter what he does out there on the field. Playing professional sport as well, losses come with the game.“I don’t give him any notes or anything. We’re just there for each other, and we trust each other to just do what’s best and what’s needed [for the team]. He’s one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever known. I know he’s just going to put his head down and go back to work.“I would describe him as a perfectionist. He’s always trying to improve and trying to grow. I think even in losses, he’s already, like pretty much the moment after [the game], trying to figure out what went wrong and how to work on that. For the time that I’ve been with him, he’s definitely improved in all areas of the sport.”Mary Fowler comforts Nathan Cleary in the sheds after NSW’s big Origin defeat.NineThe couple have been living in different hemispheres because of Fowler’s club commitments in England since signing with Manchester City in 2022, but have relished the limited chances they get to spend time with each together.Cleary is off contract with Penrith at the end of 2027, with speculation he could explore the option of playing in the UK to be closer to Fowler, whose deal with City also expires next year.But Fowler, who spent much of last season coming off the bench for City, said she would like to remain at the club.“While I’m playing football, I’d like to be at the highest level possible, so really enjoying it at City,” she said. “There’s a good group of girls there. We did really well last season, so I have no reason to leave. I think it set ourselves up really well to go again next year.”The 23-year-old was part of the Matildas squad that reached the final of this year’s Asian Cup before a 1-0 defeat to Japan in Sydney in front of a tournament-record crowd of 74,397.Given it was her first major tournament since rupturing her ACL in April last year, Fowler said the campaign was a significant step forward and left her optimistic ahead of next year’s World Cup in Brazil.“On a personal level, it was an interesting one for me because I had only started one match at City before I went into that tournament,” Fowler said. “I was at a very, very early stage of trying to feel in form again. After doing an ACL and a long injury in general, it’s hard to get back feeling right, even though physically you might be OK.“That tournament … I wanted to give myself some space to make mistakes. At the same time, I wanted to really perform at my best. Right now, I already feel better than I did.“As a team, we did really well and proud of the girls and how far we got. Obviously, a bit unlucky in the final, but it’s all really good progress leading into the World Cup [next year].”Matildas star and Weet-bix ambassador Mary Fowler poses for a photo after training with club players from Southern Districts Raiders in Moorebank on Monday morning. Sitthixay Ditthavong“It’s been a pretty big year but honestly, I don’t have much to complain about with my injury.“I got to spend a lot more time with my loved ones, and got to go through a process of learning my body in ways I hadn’t before and just appreciating being able to just walk.“It was a really nice reset and I feel back in shape to where I was before.”Speaking at a Weet-Bix event supporting grassroots football, Fowler said she was confident the Socceroos would rally in their final group match against Paraguay on Friday after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to the US, which followed a 2-0 victory over Türkiye.“I’ve been back home watching it on the TV,” Fowler said. “Honestly, they got a bit unlucky in the [USA] game, but I’m sure that’s going to fire them up to go over and get the result in the next one.”News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners