Wagga goalkeeping sensation Jada Whyman will board her flight to the Under 19 Women’s Asian Cup in China on Tuesday full of optimism that she’ll be confirmed as the Young Matildas’ first choice goalkeeper.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Whyman, 17, hopes to play a central role is this year’s team after starting on the bench in 2015.
“Any time you have the chance become the number one keeper it’s always exciting and I’m always working towards that,” she said.
The Asian championships will carry tremendous weight for Whyman and the Young Matildas, with the top three teams to advance to the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in France.
Whyman conceded she would be well aware of the pressure surrounding her talented young squad’s campaign.
“The pressure will always be there, for sure,” she said.
“But the girls are really ready for it and there’s so much belief in the team from our coaching staff, so we’ll go in with great belief as well.”
The Western Sydney Wanderers young gun believes the young Aussies have had an ideal preparation in the lead-up to their Asian expedition, saying they would likely need it in vastly different playing conditions.
“It definitely takes a little while to acclimatise,” she said.
“It’s a different kind of fitness that you need over there.”
Whyman and her teammates will have slightly less than a week to get used to their unfamiliar surroundings, before they kick things off against South Korea on October 16.
A strong showing at the Asian Cup would be Whyman’s second major boost within six weeks, having re-signed with Western Sydney Wanderers last month.
