NNSWF product Lara Gooch has gone from strength to strength recently, using her speed and attacking prowess to shine on the national and international stages.
The Newcastle Jets attacker was named in the Young Matildas squad for the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Colombia where she featured in all three of Australia’s matches.
NNSWF spoke to Gooch before the tournament while she was in camp with the Young Matildas.
Gooch said that her loved ones had played a key role in her football journey and were her motivation for why she plays.
“I think external factors play a role for me. I do it for my mum and my sisters,” Gooch said.
“I knew I wanted to try and give [football] a real crack to prove to myself but also always have your why under your belt. I want to do my mum, sisters and all of my loved ones proud. I want to bring something good to my last name and make Newcastle proud. That plays a big part in my journey.
“Growing up my nan played a big role, especially in my teenage life. She passed in 2021 but she plays a big role in why I still play. Before she passed she said that one day I will see you play in the Olympics.
“My nan still plays a big role today even though she is not here. She gives me that extra strength to keep going. She was such a strong woman and wore her values on her sleeve.
“I wouldn’t be here without a lot of the people in my corner. They are my biggest cheerleaders from however far away they are.”
The Warners Bay FC junior’s talent was quickly recognised at a grassroots level and before she knew it, she made her A-League debut for the Jets.
“I started when I was six in kindergarten because I was begging mum as my older sister played. I would always be so jealous of her and I would always have to sit on the sideline and watch her,” Gooch said.
“I loved tackling and roughing it up with the boys as I played with boys for most of my younger life.
“I played in an under-12s tournament for Macquarie Football and we played a game against the Emerging Jets before we went away to the tournament. That is where I got invited to train with them and the rest is history.
“I have been in and around the A-Leagues since I was 16. I got my first scholarship deal at 16 and have been at the Jets ever since.”
Gooch’s football career has not been smooth sailing, battling multiple injuries and niggles since a young age.
But the forward has continued to bounce back, with the Young Matildas coaching staff taking a chance to include her in the World Cup squad.
“I have had a rough run of injuries since I was 14-years-old,” Gooch said.
“I didn’t know if it was going to happen or not as I have been struggling with an injury but the coach backed me. They said that although I was still rehabbing, they backed me to be in the squad to help them get as far as they could in the tournament.
“I don’t think words could describe it. It felt surreal.
“It meant a lot knowing that the coaching staff had that belief in me, even though I wasn’t 100 per cent fit. But the selectors knew that I would be ready when game one came around.”
The 19-year-old played a vital role to help Australia qualify for the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup, after she scored off the bench to seal a 1-0 win over Korea Republic in the bronze medal play-off at the AFC Under-20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in March.
The attacker had big aspirations for the World Cup tournament and wanted to help her team in any way that she could.
“I think my goals are this tournament to mainly prove to myself that I did it. I know that this is the first step in a long journey but I want to be proud of myself for a little bit even though I don’t like to be. I want to reflect and say that dreams do become a reality,” Gooch said.
“I want to help my team as much as I can in whatever way that is, whether that is starting on the bench or starting on the field.
“I want to put my best foot forward. I want to make my family and loved ones proud.
“I believe that pressure is a privilege.
“I am most looking forward to showing the world that Aussies do have that fight about them and that we are not going to go down without a fight.”
The Young Matildas bowed out of the group stage of the World Cup after going down in all three of their group matches against Colombia, Mexico and Cameroon.
Gooch believed that she was only at the start of what she hopes is a long and successful career.
“In the future, I would like to play overseas with the best in the world, try my best and see what happens,” Gooch said.
“My number one goal is to debut for the Matildas. I also want to play at the Olympics, that would be a crazy dream to experience and do it for my nan.
“My mum has flown over for the tournament. She has come over by herself which means the world to me. I didn’t expect her to come here. For her to do that, words can’t explain how much that means to me.
“I think it will hit home when I see her in the crowd and reflecting. It will be silent for a minute looking back on everything that she has done for me to get to where I am. She is still my number one fan.”