- Nathan Cleary is currently in the UK to be with the Matildas star.
- Ivan has recently opened up about his mental health battles.
Penrith head coach Ivan Cleary made a funny joke at the expense of his son Nathan while discussing the halfback’s romance with Matildas star Mary Fowler while being interviewed on live television.
Fresh off Penrith’s historic fourth consecutive NRL premiership, the Panthers playmaker recently traveled to the UK to spend some quality time with his teammate.
The pair hit the headlines over the weekend after making a shock appearance in the Super League final in Manchester, where Wigan Warriors won their fourth consecutive title.
The celebrity romance has captured the nation’s attention, a fact that is not lost on Nathan’s father Ivan.
While appearing on Channel Nine’s Today show to promote his new book on Tuesday, the super trainer was jokingly asked if Nathan should be at home training instead of on holiday abroad.
“I guess he’s already training there,” Cleary smiled.
“But he’s following Mary; he’s a male version of a WAG over there.”
The four-time premiership-winning coach is on top of the world after Penrith’s historic victory against the Storm in the NRL decider, but few know how much the reserved 53-year-old has struggled in his private life.
Ivan Cleary says his son Nathan is like a male WAG when he is in the UK visiting Mary Fowler
The Panthers playmaker recently traveled to the UK to spend time with his soccer star girlfriend (pictured together).
Cleary recently opened up about her long struggle with mental health in a new autobiography.
“I’ve been lucky enough to win four premierships in the last four years, but it took me 26 years to achieve that as a player and as a coach… there are also a lot of downsides to a long career,” Cleary said. Today.
‘Probably in 2019 when I first came back to Panthers, I definitely knew I was struggling. I had had some previous cases that I probably hadn’t realized. I guess you’ll figure it out over time.
‘It’s hard for you to get out of bed or you don’t want to. Other things like getting emotional for no real reason… or obviously there are reasons there.
Ivan Cleary (pictured) recently opened up about his battle with depression and revealed the signs he wasn’t in a good place mentally.
“I, like many men, was keeping everything to myself, without discussing it. I started talking to my wife; she made it very clear to me that she was disappointed that I didn’t open up.
‘I thought I don’t want to be a burden on her, or that people are making it harder than me, I need to toughen up and move on.
“It’s been a long journey, but something I wanted to share because it’s not all beer and skittles.”
