Matildas veteran's realisation on 16-year first

With 111 Matildas caps to her name, Kyah Simon hasn't experienced a proper off season since debuting for the Mariners in 2008.

Before that debut she was playing for the Matildas, having debuted at 16 in 2007.

Having signed for Sydney FC for the upcoming A League Women season and missing out on the Matildas Paris 2024 squad, Simon was able to tick off a 16-year first.

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"It was the first proper off season I've had, not having any football (in pre season), in the 16 years of my whole career and then the first official pre season ever in my career this year," she told media at the A Leagues launch.

"I'm feeling really refreshed, mentally and physically.

"It's been so nice to actually join the team and not come off the back of rehab or international duties and being on the same wavelength as the rest of the girls and being able to get a good chunk of pre season in has been music to my ears.

"It's something I never realised how valuable it is to actually have a proper off season and a good block of pre season leading into the pre season."

The Matildas veteran returned to Australia with the Mariners in October 2023 after stints at Houston, PSV and Tottenham.

Before that came the controversy of her being named in the Matildas World Cup squad despite having not played since an ACL injury.

Then came a calf injury. 

Eventually, after 480 days out, she played for the Mariners and went on to make 12 appearances.

But now she's back for a third stint with Sydney FC, having been born in Blacktown.

"It feels great. It feels like I'm returning home," she said.

"This is where my professional career really started, here in Sydney being a local Sydney girl as well. To come back, times have changed a lot since I was in the Sky Blue last time in terms of the facilities we have access to and the setup we have as a women's team.

"To walk back into an environment where it is professional, where we have the facilities we need to excel as footballers (is great).