Mary Fowler‘s one-year extension with English football powerhouse Manchester City has thrown up a curious situation around her boyfriend and NRL superstar Nathan Cleary. The Matildas fan favourite declared that Manchester feels ‘like home’ after inking a new extension that will keep her at the club until the end of the 2027 season – the same year Cleary’s current deal with the Penrith Panthers ends.
Fowler’s growing reputation as one of the best forward’s in women’s football was highlighted by her selection in the PFA Women’s Super League Team of the Year. The nod came despite Fowler’s campaign being cut short last season when she suffered an ACL injury that has seen the 22-year-old sidelined since April, raising doubts over her availability for the Matildas’ home Asian Cup tournament next year.
Mary Fowler’s new extension with Manchester City means she and Nathan Cleary will both currently be off contract at the end of their 2027 seasons. Pic: Mary Fowler/Getty
However, the Matildas ace has returned to training in recent weeks and is determined to be fit for Australia’s Asian Cup campaign, which kicks off in March. And after putting pen to paper on a new deal with Manchester City, Fowler explained there were ‘a few reasons’ why she decided to continue her playing career in England.
“City has felt like home for me for quite a while now so to continue this journey with them, I’m really proud to do that,” the Matildas forward said in a statement. “Enjoying my football is a big part of me playing well and City has created an environment where I can flourish in that sense.
“I love working with the girls who are here, and I haven’t always had that, so I appreciate that. As my seasons here have progressed, I’ve become a lot more comfortable in this environment, and I think I’m the kind of person who plays a lot better when I’m comfortable with the people and coaching staff.
“I feel like I have that now, I have the good relationships with everyone here and that’s made me feel like I’m at home and has allowed me to be really comfortable out on the field.” Fowler has scored 21 goals in her 87 games for City to date and was instrumental to their march into last season’s FA Cup semi-finals, where she suffered the ACL injury.
Mary Fowler’s new deal raises Nathan Cleary questions
The fact that Fowler’s new deal and Cleary’s current contract with the Panthers both end in 2027 has raised an intriguing prospect around the Aussie sporting power couple. It could suggest that Fowler is planning to return to Australia at that point to be closer to her NRL star boyfriend.
It’s a notion has been discussed previously, with Panthers CEO Bryan Fletcher copping flak over a tongue-in-cheek comment about Fowler coming back to continue her football career in Australia. The suggestion was labelled ‘delusional’ and ’embarrassing’ at the time, with critics pointing out that Fowler would be giving up a highly-paid contract with Manchester City – and a lot more than Cleary – so the pair could live together in Australia.
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But with her new deal only running until 2027, it certainly raises the possibility that a move back home could be a temptation for Fowler in a couple of years. Alternatively, the Matildas star may have wanted to align her new Manchester City contract with Cleary’s deal at the Panthers so the pair can keep their career options open after 2027.
Nathan Cleary has been previously been linked with a move to play in Europe to be closer to Mary Fowler. Image: Mary Fowler/Getty
Cleary has been previously linked with a move to play overseas in either the English Super League or in European rugby. The Panthers star admits it’s something he has considered before, and playing in England would be a logical choice if Fowler wanted to remain at Manchester City.
A big-money move to French rugby could be another possibility for Cleary, who has already achieved just about everything in rugby league at the age of 27. And Fowler’s status in world football means she’d have no trouble finding interested clubs in France, if the sporting power couple decided that’s where they wanted to continue their respective careers together.
with agencies