Matildas midfielder Chloe Berryhill says A-League Women has helped next generation of Matildas find their feet

Matildas midfielder Chloe Berryhill says the rise in standard in the A-League Women has equipped the younger generation with better tools to tackle their national team call-ups. Berryhill (nee Logarzo) came off the bench late in Australia’s 1-1 draw with Slovenia on Sunday night and has remained in the Matildas squad for their two-game series against Panama, which begins in Bunbury on Saturday. A veteran of the domestic league, the 30 year-old Western United midfielder made her debut for the national team more than a decade ago while still a teenager at Sydney FC. In the absence of a number of the Matildas’ more-experienced players, Berryhill — who has played 57 times for Australia and played at a World Cup and two Olympics, will be one of the most-senior players against Panama. Having played 133 A-League Women’s games and witnessed the growth of the competition, Berryhill said the younger players who had arrived in camp were more-advanced technically than their predecessors 10 years ago. “The pool for players has grown so much, it’s nice to see some young players come in and step up to the level that they need to,” she said. “The girls that are younger, and they’re playing in the A-League, they’re actually playing more time than 5-10 years ago. “The A-League is really the the catalyst for getting the younger generations to come through; they’re getting minutes under their belt touches on the ball, and that’s the most important thing before they can go overseas and start to develop. “Coaching has changed, development has changed. The younger generation coming in are a lot better than what it was maybe 10 years ago.” With seven new faces arriving in Matildas camp this week, nearly all of whom play for Australian clubs, Berryhill said new coach Joe Montemurro’s intensity had not dropped. “Has it been a little bit easier with Joe and the information? No, because there’s been a different influx of players coming in,” she said. “It’s refreshing and honestly, it’s really nice to be able to be hit with that much information, because we really want to understand how he wants us to play. “I would rather more information than less for us to try and put pieces together and more just grasping at the things he’s already put down on the table.” Having battled injuries in recent years, Berryhill said she was thankful to be back in the squad and was determined to prove her worth for future camps. “I’m always going to lean on the fact I’m the person who can pump other people up. I like to do the work for other people to be able to allow them to thrive in their positions,” she said. “For me, it’s all about making the sacrificial runs and creating space and being able to be the player everyone leans on, the glue.”