Mary Fowler in sad development with Nathan Cleary as Sam Kerr detail excites Matildas fans
Fowler and Cleary have crashed back to reality after a holiday in Australia over the Christmas break.
Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary have been forced back to reality of their long-distance relationship, with Fowler returning to England after a Christmas and New Year's break with her NRL star boyfriend. Cleary and Fowler took a road-trip to Far North Queensland over the break, meeting some of Fowler's extended family in Cairns.
The superstar couple looked as loved-up as ever as they both posted a number of photos on social media, showing them lapping up the sun and enjoying their rare time together. It provided a much-needed recharge for the star athletes, who spend the majority of their time on opposite sides of the world.
Fowler is based in England with club team Manchester City, and she had to head back last week and end her time with Cleary in Australia. On Sunday night she starred for City in their 3-0 home victory over Ipswich in the Women's FA Cup.
Fresh from being voted by fans as one of the Women's Super League nominees for player of the month in December, Fowler led the line for City on Sunday night in the absence of star striker Khadija Shaw. In her first match of the year, Fowler put her skills on full display as the WSL powerhouses had a stroll against the National League South leaders.
The Aussie star didn't get on the scoresheet, but teammate Vivianne Miedema marked her return from a long-term knee injury with a goal as the three-time winners were always in control from the moment player-of-the-match Jill Roord gave them a first-half lead. The performance continued some strong recent form for the 21-year-old Fowler, who scored in City's 4-0 win over Leicester in the WSL and also converted a late penalty at Everton in the final league match before the Christmas and New Year break.
🔥 Ja pots votar a Mary Fowler!
🗳️➡️ https://t.co/JJL8XZCEkr https://t.co/vtvw6QTWL6— Manchester City (@ManCityCatala) January 9, 2025
Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary part ways after Aussie holiday
But Sunday night's victory would have been tinged with sadness that she had to leave Cleary behind in Australia after a wonderful few weeks of downtime. The Penrith Panthers star is preparing to lead his team into the new NRL season and has been busy working on new combinations at pre-season training.
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Fowler gave a clear indication on Tuesday that she's missing being at home with Cleary, posting a number of photos on social media that included her boyfriend. The 21-year-old posted a series of snaps in a 'recap of 2024' - and the majority were taken in Australia.
Nathan Cleary's telling comments about Mary Fowler romance
Cleary opened up last month about what it's like being in a long-distance relationship, and how he and Fowler lean on each other on opposite sides of the world. “It’s been tough, it’s definitely not something that I ever thought I’d do," he said. "I think it sort of helped for us that as soon as we met each other, and we sort of got talking, we knew it was going to lead down to that path and if we wanted to do it, it was going to be long distance.
“Sometimes you just get home and you want a little cuddle, but I think it’s helped us in a way to connect on more than just (on) a physical level and actually have genuine conversations. We just navigate around it and when we do see each other, it’s the best thing ever. You are really grateful for those moments we get to spend together. We’re constantly talking on FaceTime or whatever and we sort of find our way through that."
Sam Kerr inching closer to return after injury
Meanwhile, Matildas teammate Sam Kerr has provided another positive hint that her comeback is just around the corner, posting a photo of her in full flight on the training paddock. The Matildas captain hasn't played since tearing her ACL last January, but recently joined club team Chelsea at a training camp.
The sight of her kicking a ball got Chelsea and Matildas fans excited, although her club will be playing it carefully as she nears a return. A normal return-to-play timeline for an ACL injury is 9-12 months, but Kerr won't be back until February or March (13-14 months).
"We are looking to have her back with us in February, March, not before that," coach Sonia Bompastor said recently. "She didn't start yet to train, even being modified with the group, so she's still on her individual process rehab and I think it will take at least two or three more months for her to be fit enough to be with the squad."