Matildas Steph Catley out for revenge after Women’s World Cup loss to England Lionesses

“I think it will help,” Catley said of that familiarity. “I mean, it gives them the same kind of edge because they know us really well. So I think it makes it a little bit harder, you’re playing mind games in that sense.”

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The match against England will also be another chapter in the saga of who will be chosen as Matilda’s captain after Sam Kerr returns to the team. Kerr passed up the opportunity to hand Hayley Raso the armband for her 100th Matildas game against Wales at the weekend. But Catley, who was Kerr’s vice-captain before his anterior cruciate ligament injury and was captain during Kerr’s two years away from the team, said the striker’s reappointment was inevitable.

“From what I’ve seen, Sam has always been our captain. I’m vice-captain and he’s been out for two years. It seems like an interesting topic, but it’s not really relevant to our camp. It’s not something Sam and I sit down and discuss. I think it’s kind of a given,” Catley said.

“And now he’s back, he’s stepping back into the captaincy role as he should be and we’ve all been supporting him through it all and I will always be his number one supporter and vice-captain working with him to get the best out of our team.”