- Natasha Prior, 26, has impressed with Matildas
- Previously retired at age 21 due to a concussion.
- Coach Tom Sermanni is a long-time admirer.
Previously retired at the age of 21 due to a series of concussions, defender Natasha Prior is emerging as the find of the Matildas’ mixed international window.
Interim coach Tom Sermanni was effusive in his praise of Prior, 26, who made his first start and scored his first goal in Wednesday night’s 3-1 win over Taiwan in Melbourne.
Despite the emergence of Clare Hunt over the last 18 months, finding new centre-backs has long been a problem area for the Matildas.
But tall, poised center back Prior, daughter of former Premier League defender and former Matildas assistant Spencer Prior, backed up her impressive debut off the bench against Brazil with aplomb.
“She came into the team a little bit like Clare Hunt did a year and a half ago,” Sermanni said.
‘She plays with composure, authority. She has good defensive strength, she is mobile and very good with the ball.
“I talked to the players before the game: ‘I want to see players come to this team and look like they belong,’ and I think she’s done that.”
Prior was humble when told of Sermanni’s praise.
Previously retired at the age of 21 due to a series of concussions, defender Natasha Prior is emerging as the find of the Matildas’ mixed international window.
Coach Tom Sermanni called the 26-year-old “mobile and very good on the ball”
“Being compared to players like Clare Hunt is obviously a huge compliment,” she said.
‘Clare and I are friends off the field, so it’s good to be teammates on the field now.
‘Personally happy with my performance, some unstable moments. but I think I adapted to the game.
Newcastle Jets standout Prior, who works full-time as a senior consultant at Deloitte, was highly rated on youth teams before concussions derailed a promising football career.
But after her successful return last season, Sermanni had been “keeping an eye on her” in recent months and then called her.
“I retired around age 21; I had a pretty bad concussion,” he said.
‘I went to work full time, working at Deloitte. “For probably two years, I had on-and-off stints playing at different clubs like Sydney, and then I think I took another break. “It’s a little fuzzy in my head as to the exact timeline.
“But coming back last season properly with the Jets for a full season, and then again this year, and then obviously getting called up (to the Matildas), it’s been a long journey, but it’s also happened pretty quickly.”
Prior is likely to start again in Saturday’s second match against Taiwan at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium, especially with Tottenham defenders Hunt and Charli Grant leaving home shores.
Sermanni was hopeful midfielder Chloe Logarzo had avoided a concussion after she was forced off following a clash of heads in the first half.