Carpenter eyes exciting times ahead for Westfield Matildas

Westfield Matildas prodigy Ellie Carpenter has one eye on the present and one looking expectantly towards the future.

The teenage defender is currently in Portugal ahead of Australia's first game of the Algarve Cup against Norway on Thursday morning (AEDT).

It will be Carpenter's second time at the week-long tournament, which serves as the perfect springboard to April's AFC Women's Asian Cup in Jordan.

"I think as a team we're pretty confident heading in and this is a good preparation for the Asian Cup," Carpenter told matildas.footballaustralia.com.au.

"If we can have a good game against Norway and get three points it'll give us a lot of confidence going into the next games.

"If we win that it'll be a good start for us going into the next stage."

And while her eyes are fixed firmly on a busy 2018, Carpenter can't help but be excited about the news of an Australian bid to host the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

"That would be amazing!" she said.

"I think I'll be about 23 by the time that comes around so it would be perfect for me.

"It would be great not just for women's football in general but for the whole sporting nation to have a major tournament in Australia.

"It would be insane, and if I was a little girl in the crowd watching the Matildas I would be inspired to play, so if we had the World Cup on home soil it would inspire lots of girls to join the sport."