The Women's World Cup in France could be the swansong for one of the greatest players to have pulled on a Matildas shirt, Lisa De Vanna.
The striker turns 35 in November, and is unsure whether the tournament will be her last hurrah at club and international level, or whether she will go on for one more season.
Lisa De Vanna celebrates a goal with her green-and-gold teammates.Credit:AAP
''I don't know, I have to assess what I am going to do after the World Cup,'' she told The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald when asked about her future.
''Once that is done I will have an idea of where I am at, whether I want to play overseas, whether I want to give up and retire or whether I stay in Sydney, or move back home, I don't know.
Advertisement
''I think I have one, maybe two, but probably one good year left in me. I don't want to continue to play and be one of those [players] who coaches say, 'Let's bring her for experience' or 'Let's have her as she's good to have around the team'.
''That's not what I am about, being seen as one of those players who can come on and do damage in the last 20 minutes only.
"That's not where I want to end; I want to end at the top of my game with people knowing that I left the game at the best level. I don't want to be that person about whom they say, 'She used to be good'.
''I want them to remember me as a legend of the game, someone who went out at the right time at the top. For the last 15 years I have given to this team [the Matildas] all my effort and I want to do it to the last day, too, whenever that is.''
De Vanna's former coach Tom Sermanni, once the boss of the Matildas but now in charge of New Zealand, believes she can still have a huge impact as a player.
''She still has lots of ability and is someone who could be a game-breaker," he said.
''The key to getting the best out of her for the team is managing the rest of the team around her.
''As a player, now her decision-making is probably better. She has not lost all of her speed and power. And her willingnRead More – Source
The Women's World Cup in France could be the swansong for one of the greatest players to have pulled on a Matildas shirt, Lisa De Vanna.
The striker turns 35 in November, and is unsure whether the tournament will be her last hurrah at club and international level, or whether she will go on for one more season.
Lisa De Vanna celebrates a goal with her green-and-gold teammates.Credit:AAP
''I don't know, I have to assess what I am going to do after the World Cup,'' she told The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald when asked about her future.
''Once that is done I will have an idea of where I am at, whether I want to play overseas, whether I want to give up and retire or whether I stay in Sydney, or move back home, I don't know.
Advertisement
''I think I have one, maybe two, but probably one good year left in me. I don't want to continue to play and be one of those [players] who coaches say, 'Let's bring her for experience' or 'Let's have her as she's good to have around the team'.
''That's not what I am about, being seen as one of those players who can come on and do damage in the last 20 minutes only.
"That's not where I want to end; I want to end at the top of my game with people knowing that I left the game at the best level. I don't want to be that person about whom they say, 'She used to be good'.
''I want them to remember me as a legend of the game, someone who went out at the right time at the top. For the last 15 years I have given to this team [the Matildas] all my effort and I want to do it to the last day, too, whenever that is.''
De Vanna's former coach Tom Sermanni, once the boss of the Matildas but now in charge of New Zealand, believes she can still have a huge impact as a player.
''She still has lots of ability and is someone who could be a game-breaker," he said.
''The key to getting the best out of her for the team is managing the rest of the team around her.
''As a player, now her decision-making is probably better. She has not lost all of her speed and power. And her willingnRead More – Source
