After scratchy start Leat now playing for keeps
Anna Leat can laugh about it now. Her first touch during her international debut for New Zealand led to a goal.
The Football Ferns were playing Austria at the Cyprus Cup and Leat, who was just 15 at the time, was brought on to replace goalkeeper Erin Nayler.
‘‘Even getting on the tour at that point was massive for me. There was no way I was expecting to get on the pitch,’’ said Leat, who has brought that big game experience to the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
‘‘I just got the opportunity to get some experience but my first touch was conceding a goal. I touched it on the way in.’’
Despite her youth, Leat said she embraced the challenge when Tony Readings, the coach at the time, walked over to the bench and informed her that she would be replacing Nayler with 25 minutes still to play.
‘‘I thought if I started to think about it then it would be a lot for me to handle, and you’ve just got to focus on the game. But I remember the players were talking to me heaps and they were encouraging which really helped.
‘‘It was an amazing experience and getting that privilege to have that so young has really helped me with my football development.’’
Leat made another appearance as a substitute at the same tournament before earning her first start for New Zealand in a 5-0 win against Thailand last year.
‘‘That was next level, even being in the starting photo so you know it really happened.
‘‘It was quite a change going from playing in 14th grade boys’ teams to playing against professional women but it’s been a great learning experience.’’
Leat could have added to her international caps at the Oceania Women’s Nations Cup, where New Zealand will be looking to secure qualification for next year’s World Cup under new coach Tom Sermanni.
However, as the tournament clashed with the Under-17 World Cup, the 17-year-old opted for Uruguay over New Caledonia.
New Zealand have made a dream start to Under-17 World Cup, winning both of their opening games to qualify for the quarterfinal stage for the first time in the country’s history.
They round out pool play against Ghana at Estadio Charrua in Montevideo tomorrow in a match that will determine who finishes top of Group A.
‘‘At the start our two goals were to win a game and to make it to the quarters, which we’ve done.
‘‘Now we’ve got this opportunity to go one step further and make it to the semis, which I think is an achievable goal for anyone who is in the quarters,’’ she said.
‘‘Even thinking top-eight blows my mind but I don’t think it’s anything that is beyond us. The prospect of being top-four is that next level and even crazier.’’