Kaitlyn Torpey: It was perfect timing for me. I was so ready for it. I've never wanted it more.

With just five caps to her name so far, CommBank Matilda, Kaitlyn Torpey is the freshest face in Tony Gustavsson’s 18-player Paris 2024 Olympic Squad. Before taking off on the experience of her life, she reflected on her national team debut.

Aside from travelling reserve, Sharn Freier, Torpey is the rookie of the team heading to France. It was less than five months ago that she made a commanding debut against Uzbekistan, finding the back of the net in the 22nd minute, for good measure.

“It was a dream come true for me, I’m so happy. I can’t even explain what I’m feeling right now,” the San Diego Wave defender said after the CommBank Matildas defeated Uzbekistan during the CommBank Matildas' home and away Olympic qualifiers.

“Scoring was just crazy. My parents flew up from Brisbane and my partner was there, so to celebrate with them after the game was amazing.”

Wearing injured skipper Sam Kerr’s number 20 on her back, the pressure couldn’t have been greater, but the 24-year-old rose to the occasion in stunning fashion, later encouraged by a tick of approval from Kerr.

“What a number to do it in, congrats Kaitlyn Torpey!” Kerr commented on Torpey’s debut.

“The number 20 belongs to Sam,” Torpey reiterated.                                           

“It was really nice to hear those words because I was a bit nervous about how Sam would feel [about me wearing the number 20 jersey].

“Obviously, it’s not like I planned it or anything, but after she said that, I knew it was fine, she was fine, so I should be fine with it.”

Head Coach Tony Gustavsson heaped praise on his newest debutant post-match.

“I know she has quality, we’ve seen it in club, we’ve seen it in U23s, she was selected based on performance,” he explained to media at the post-match press conference.

“It wasn’t to try her out and see how she went, because she already proved in training, that she was ready for it.”

“I’d worked so hard for that moment,” Torpey reflected.

“The last year especially, I’ve pushed myself harder than I ever have. I've trained longer than I ever have and I think that preparation was what made me so ready to go out there and prove my spot straightaway.”

It was a full circle moment for Torpey who just months prior, was watching the team from the stands, speaking her dreams into reality.

“It was funny because I was actually at Marvel Stadium for the CommBank Matildas v France send-off game before the World Cup,” she said.

“At the time, I turned around and said to who I was with, ‘I want this so bad and I'm going to get there one day.’ I wrote down what I could do to get there and worked so hard.

“I took the chance to take it all in during warm up. The crowd started coming in, it was way [larger] than I was ever used to, so there was a moment where I was looking around at everyone. The girls were taking warm up very seriously, but I had the biggest smile on my face.

“I said, ‘I know you guys are used to this, but this is crazy for me.’ Everyone was asking if I felt pressure with the crowd or if I was nervous, but it was actually a dream come true,” she continued.

“I just felt so happy and I think that's why I was able to play so well and play with a lot more freedom because the crowd was so electrifying and it was what I'd been waiting for my whole life, to play in front of a crowd like that.

“It was perfect timing for me because I was so ready for it, and I'd never wanted it more.”