Matildas star Steph Catley chats all-things expat life and training ahead of the FWWC

Football star Steph Catley has revealed what life is like living in the UK, and the one (obvious) thing Aussies do better than Brits.

Aussie football star Steph Catley opens up about life living abroad.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup is well truly upon us and one of the stars of the Aussie team has not only given a glimpse into the hectic training life of a Matilda — but spilled on what life is like on the other side of the world.

Steph Catley is undoubtedly one of Australia’s best female football players, having retained her position as vice-captain of the Matildas for the upcoming Women’s World Cup set to kick off on July 20.

Born and raised in Melbourne, the 29-year-old fell in love with the sport at a young age, making her professional debut with Melbourne Victory, before getting snatched up by Arsenal WFC.

After signing with the top tier English women’s club in 2020, she packed her bags and headed to London where she currently lives with her fiance Dean Bouzanis, a fellow Aussie football player, and their beloved dog, Calvin.

Steph Catley is the vice-captain of the Matildas for the upcoming Women’s World Cup set to kick off on July 20. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

What she misses about Oz

When Steph first moved to the UK, she admitted it was a bit of “struggle”, missing family, friends and of course, the sunshine and a proper cup of coffee.

She said getting a coffee was one of the first things she did when arriving in Sydney ahead of the Women’s World Cup.

“Landing in Australia from overseas, my body automatically craves a coffee and I always make sure it’s the first thing I do,” she laughed. “And I also look for a good smashed avo and poached eggs. Nowhere in the world does brunch like Australia.”

A young Steph before she went on to become a player for Melbourne Victory and then signing with Arsenal WFC in 2020.

She joked that coffee in the UK is “crappy” and that they can never get her cappuccino order right.

But she did point out there’s some great Aussie-owned cafes that help ease the pain.

“Inner London there’s actually so many great coffee shops (mostly run and owned by Australians) so if I’m ever desperate for a proper brunch and a good coffee, I’ll hop on the train into the city and hunt it down,” Steph told news.com.au.

“My coffee order at home in Australia is a small cappuccino and it’s just expected that it will come with chocolate on the top.

Steph now lives in London with her fiance and fellow Aussie football player, Dean Bouzanis.

“But in England if you ask for that, you’ll get a huge mug of coffee with no chocolate on top. So my order is now ‘cappuccino in a flat white cup with chocolate on top, please’,” she laughed.

Despite having lived in London for the past three years, Steph said she’s only just getting used to weather.

“The weather was the hardest thing to adapt to. The winters are just so dark, grey and rainy,” she said.

“People warn you about it but as an Australian who needs to sun to feel happy, it was a real shock to the system and I really struggled in the first season. I’m much more adapted now and know what to expect, so that helps.”

And her beloved pooch, Calvin.

Steph has spent most her most of her adult life living overseas playing football and apart from missing decent coffee and the sun, she said parting ways with her family is never easy.

“They’re so important to me and it just never gets easier. But it really makes you grateful and appreciative of the time you have with them whenever it comes around.”

It’s taken some time, but the Aussie has fallen in love with London.

“It’s great, I love it. There’s nothing like home in Australia but this is definitely the closest I’ve felt to feeling like home while living overseas,” she said. “I have so many friends over there (London) now that I feel very settled and happy.”

Steph moved to the UK after signing with Arsenal in 2020. Picture: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Intense training for the Women’s World Cup

As of last month, Steph reunited with her family, spending quality time with them before getting stuck into some hard-core training sessions in Sydney.

“We’ve been non-stop for the last four to five weeks now. Training, gym, meetings, the lot,” she told news.com.au.

“But the closer we get to the games, you can see the hard work paying off and everything starting to come together, so the hard work has definitely been worth it.”

Steph is back in Australia where she and the Matildas are in full training mode ahead of the Fifa Women’s World Cup set to kick off on July 20.

Steph during a training session at Marvel Stadium on July 13. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

The girls start their day around 7.30am and depending on the structure of the day they usually have a 1.5-2 hour football session and then an hour in the gym.

“The rest of the day is made up of ice-baths, massage, physio treatment and often media commitments,” Steph said.

She said while the team is primed and ready to have a great tournament, the one thing they have been drilling the most during training has been communication.

“[To] make sure we’re all on the same page in different moments and situations in a game,” she explained.

“Considering the crowd sizes and how loud it’s going to be, being able to quickly communicate to each other on the field is going to be vital.”

Steph said she’s honoured to represent Australia and the Matildas. Picture: stephcatley/Instagram

The football star joked that she is really looking forward to all her teammates at Arsenal doing the flight over to Australia or New Zealand, “because they’ll finally understand how we feel when we get back from Australia and are expected to train or play the next day”.

What she loves to do in Sydney

In the very little downtime Steph has you will find her enjoying a proper coffee (of course) and lapping up the “amazing” Sydney beaches.

Steph said the first thing she did when landing in Sydney was get a ‘proper coffee’.

It might be tough for fellow Melburnians to admit, but Steph said Sydney has the perfect balance of city and beach.

“The beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world and they’re literally connected to the heart of the city. There’s not many places in the world like that and Sydney does it best,” she said.

She also hits up the beaches, naming Redleaf Beach in Double Bay as her favourite.

She often stays in Double Bay when she’s in the city and said she “absolutely loves” Redleaf Beach.

“It’s perfect for recovery and when you arrive there, there’s stunning views of the ocean, cliffs and the city.”

The Matildas will kick off their World Cup campaign in Sydney on July 20 against Ireland. They will play Nigeria in Brisbane on July 27 before returning to Melbourne to face reigning Olympic gold medallists Canada for their final group stage fixture on July 31.

FIFA and Destination NSW are also hosting the Fifa Fan Festival in Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour from July 20 on all match days. The family-friendly event will have a festival atmosphere with live music, food stalls a FIFA museum.