Midfielder Leticia McKenna said that she is going to focus on being herself as she takes part in her first CommBank Matildas camp this week.
The 23-year-old has linked up with the team in Kenya ahead of the FIFA Series 2026™.
“I’ll just be myself, get amongst it,” she said.
“I really enjoyed [the first session]. It's nice to get on the ball with these players. They are obviously world-class and the best in Australia. So to have the opportunity to share the field with them was great.
“I know I'm going to learn a lot here from every player, all the staff members. I’ll just embrace it and enjoy the experience.”
She spoke about how special it was to receive the email with her name on the squad list.
“Reading that was so special,” she recalled.
“You dream of it your whole career, whole childhood, from when you were a kid. To be in this environment and have the opportunity is something that I’ll definitely cherish forever, and it made me really happy reading it.”
She credited consistency at club level with Melbourne City as the reason for her form and selection.
“I had a few injuries a few years ago, just constant niggles – stress reactions and stress fractures - that held me back from junior camps and things like that,” she said.
“To persevere now and get the body the best it's felt in a long time is awesome.
“Just having consistency has helped. The staff at Melbourne City have really helped me with what I set out this year and for my goals. Just being a bit more of a confident player this year around getting on the ball, and trying to be creative in the midfield, has also helped.”
There will be several familiar faces from her time in the A-League Women's in the national team squad.
“It's so nice to be able to play with the girls I grew up playing with,” she said.
“I know Morgan [Aquino] and Sam [Kerr] from my time at Perth, [Kaitlyn] Torpey and Wini [Heatley] from Brisbane, Wini, Torpey and Holly [McNamara] from City. It’s been great. It makes it a bit easier to see familiar faces.”
It is particularly special to be in the squad alongside Sam Kerr, who used to pick up a young McKenna from school on their way to training at Perth Glory.
“A few of the girls messaged me straight away, even before I saw the email,” she recalled.
“Sam just flicked me a message and said – ‘oi, come to Matildas camp’. That was obviously really special, with the fact that she reached out. It was really nice for her to take the time to do so is amazing.”
If McKenna debuts in Kenya, she will be the first player from Perth to take the field for the CommBank Matildas since Kerr.
“It would be so special for my family and friends, and everyone who supported me,” she said.
“You're living out the dream. It's the reason why I play. To do it would be incredible. I can’t really put it into words.”\
WOMEN’S FIFA SERIES 2026- KENYA
Match One:
Kenya v India
Date: Saturday 11 April 2026/Sunday 12 April 2026 AEST
Kick-off: 6.00pm local/1.00am AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
Match Two:
CommBank Matildas v Malawi
Date: Saturday 11 April 2026
Kick-off: 2.00pm local/9.00pm AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
TV Broadcast: Paramount+
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Match Three:
Runner-up Match One v Runner-up Match Two
Date: Wednesday 15 April 2026
Kick-off: 2.00pm local/9.00pm AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
Match Four:
Winner Match One vs Winner Match Two
Date: Wednesday 15 April 2026/Thursday 16 April 2026 AEST
Kick-off: 5.00pm local/12.00am AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
TV Broadcast: All CommBank Matildas matches will be broadcast exclusively on Paramount+