Condon’s dream rise to Algarve Cup with Westfield Matildas

This time last year, playing for the Westfield Matildas wasn’t on Emily Condon’s radar.

While she was doing great things with Adelaide United in the Westfield W-League and was a member of the Young Matildas side, breaking into Alen Stajcic’s all-conquering squad was something the teenager thought would come down the track.

But Condon’s fine form has seen her fast-tracked into the 22-player squad for the upcoming Algarve Cup campaign in Portugal.

It’s a dream come true for the 19-year-old, who will hope she can get her first senior international cap against either Norway, China or Portugal during the 12-team invitational tournament.

“[If you’d asked me] 12 months ago I would have said no,” Condon told https://matildas.footballaustralia.com.au/ when asked if she thought she’d make the Westfield Matildas squad.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind that this is what I want to do and I was always hoping to get there.

“During the [recent Westfield W-League] season, I got on notice for a camp and I thought ‘It could be real. It could happen’.

“I was so excited when I found out. I was still nervous, but it’s an absolute honour. This is like my dream! I’ve always wanted to do this since I first started playing football.”

And here she is, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sam Kerr, Emily van Egmond, Steph Catley and co.

Condon says she’s looking forward to learning from Australia’s established stars every day in training, while she would love to get her first senior cap at the tournament.

“Hopefully I go to Portugal and it would be so great to get a cap at least. Small steps, but that’s what I’m aiming for,” she said.

“I 100% expect [a step-up in quality]. Even just watching them [Westfield Matildas] on television, you can see the standard just raised from the level I’m used to.”