Amy Sayer surprised but thrilled with recall to Matildas squad

She was set for a well-earned holiday at home with her family, but Amy Sayer has instead been given another chance with the Matildas.

Former Sydney FC midfielder Amy Sayer plans to make the most of her surprise Matildas recall.

Sayer, 20, is part of a largely experimental Matildas squad for friendly matches against Spain on Sunday morning (AEST) and Portugal on Wednesday week.

Now playing US college football for Stanford, Sayer earnt the most recent of her four Matildas caps in Australia’s 5-2 loss to Germany in April last year.

She failed to make the Matildas’ Olympic Games and Asian Cup squads, but has now been given another chance by national coach Tony Gustavsson ahead of next year’s Women’s World Cup, which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

📰 SQUAD UPDATE: The squad has seen the addition of another emerging player with the defender Jamilla Rankin called in to replace Angela Beard who has withdrawn for personal reasons. pic.twitter.com/RRbv7fleX9

— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) June 19, 2022

“To get the call up again was really exciting, but unexpected,” Sayer said.

“I was in San Francisco Airport, heading back (to Australia) from Stanford for holidays, expecting to get about seven weeks at home with my family.

“It was a pretty quick turnaround – about a week at home and then I’m back again.

“I’m so excited to be back.”

Sayer intends to put her “best foot forward” at the Matildas’ camp in Spain.

“Against a team like Spain, I’m really looking forward to seeing how I match up against some of the best players in the world and one of the best teams in the world,” she said.

“I’m aiming to see the areas that I need to improve in as we come out of the game and seeing how well we can do with the new philosophy that’s trying to be reinforced in the national team.”

Gustavsson has been forced to make one change to the squad named last week, with Brisbane Roar defender Jamilla Rankin replacing Fortuna Hjorring’s Angela Beard, who withdrew for personal reasons.