Matilda’s surprising response after commentator’s personal remark

Katrina Gorry has been caught in the middle of a World Cup furore surrounding her personal life — and her response has been all class.

Matildas star Katrina Gorry holds no grudges against television commentator David Basheer for saying she had “retained her competitive instincts despite becoming a mother”.

Channel 7 football figure has come under fire on social media in recent days for making the comment about Gorry – who returned to football last year after giving birth to daughter Harper – during the broadcast of the Matildas’ 1-0 FIFA Women’s World Cup win over Ireland last Thursday night

However, star midfielder Gorry, who was arguably Australia’s best player in the win, isn’t concerned by Basheer’s comment.

“I’ve heard about it – I don’t take things like that too personally,” she said, according to NCA NewsWire.

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“I don’t really look at things like that but I can see how it got taken the wrong way.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean it in a negative way. Sometimes things just come out in the wrong way, but it is what it is.”

There were many other fans who took to social media to decry the comment.

“The smile says it all from Katrina Gorry,” Basheer said.

“Certainly motherhood has not blunted her competitive instincts, that’s for sure. She is one fighter for Australia.”

Katrina Gorry walks on to the pitch prior to the match. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Matildas’ Katrina Gorry with her daughter Harper. Source: Instagram/Katrina Gorry

Gorry, 30, has been superb since retuning to national duty, with her composure, distribution and tenaciousness at the base of the Matildas’ midfield crucial to Australia’s hopes of becoming world champions.

“I knew it was going to be a pretty tough road but falling back in love with the game has changed everything for me,” the proud Queenslander said ahead of the Matildas’ battle with Nigeria at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.

“I enjoy every training session now, I enjoy playing the games, and I promised Harper that I would do whatever I could to get to the World Cup team, and I feel like I did that.

“Now to be able to play in the second game of the World Cup at home in Brisbane. in front of family and friends, I feel like everything is just a dream come true.”

Gorry gave birth in 2021 to her daughter Harper after undergoing IVF treatment.

She brought the bub to a Matildas match in Canada last year.

Gorry lives in Sweden where she plays for Vittsjö GIK, based in the south of the country, 100km from Malmo.

Last month, Gorry announced her engagement to fellow Vittsjö player Clara Markstedt.

After taking some time off, she returned to the squad in April 2022.

Fellow midfielder and Queenslander Kyra Cooney-Cross, 21, said Gorry had been “amazing” since her return.

“As soon as she came in, she just took me under her wing, and she made me feel so confident,” Cooney-Cross said.

“I really enjoy playing with her. I don’t think words can describe how grateful I am.

“I’ve told her as much as I can that I appreciate her so much because she’s made me feel more and more confident every game.”

Gorry and Matildas teammates trained on Monday at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, where injured captain Sam Kerr was again a spectator in her ongoing recovery from a calf injury that will sideline her for at least another match.

“Just to have her (Kerr) here is a massive support,” Gorry said.

Katrina Gorry was unknowingly pulled in to a social media storm. Pictures: Instagram, Getty

Craig Moore and David Basheer when he was at SBS.

“As a team, we always come together, we always pull through, we know that whoever plays is going to do their role on the field.

“We’ve got so much ‘X-factor’ across the whole team.”

A Football Australia spokeswoman denied that Kerr had torn her calf, but it’s unlikely she will play until the knockout stages of the tournament if the Matildas can secure a berth in the round-of-16 with a Group B game to spare by beating Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Basheer’s comments may have been well intentioned but they went down like a bad tackle with viewers of the match questioning why having a child would have run the risk of compromising Gorry’s skill.

“Can the male commentating the Matildas Ireland game please refrain from suggesting it’s great a player’s competitive instinct hasn’t changed since she had a child?” said writer Dr Victoria Fielding.

“Why on earth would a woman’s sporting drive change through childbirth? You wouldn’t say it to a father playing sport.”

“Don’t know if that commentator has ever met a mother … The most instinctively competitive people on earth,” said comedian Dan Ilic.

Former ABC News presenter Emma Alberici simply wrote “huh?”

One person on Twitter demanded Basheer be taken off air for the rest of the tournament if that was to be his calibre of commentary on female players.

“Dear lord, I thought we were past this kind of ridiculous narrative from male commentators. Do better 7 Sport,” said another.

— with Marco Monteverde, NCA NewsWire