Poppy O'Keeffe named in provisional squad for Junior Matildas training camp

The Wangaratta schoolgirl has been named in a 30-player provisional squad ahead of the Junior Matildas' training camp on the Gold Coast later this month.

O'Keeffe, 14, impressed at the recent National Youth Championships and is one of four players based at Football Victoria's National Training Centre (NTC) to make the elite group.

The former Murray United player is now on the cusp of becoming part of the under-17 national team.

"It's unbelievable,' O'Keeffe said.

"I'm just so happy, I can't even express the feelings.

"I didn't think this would happen so early.

"It's taken so much training at home, putting in extra effort and training with clubs.

"This was the dream and I knew I had to do anything I could to get to it.

"I wasn't going to let anything stop me.

"I knew there were going to be challenges along the way but I knew, if I really wanted it, I'd do anything to make it happen."

The squad will be whittled down to 24 players early next week before the training camp which runs from October 25 to November 5.

O'Keeffe, the cousin of A-League player Sebastian Pasquali, hailed the impact of her time at Murray, where she played with and against boys in the NPL system.

"That's one of the biggest things that helped me throughout this," she said.

"Playing with the boys was so much more competitive and tactical, the way you had to use your body against much faster and stronger players.

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"When I started, the boys were a bit weirded-out that a girl was playing but once we started playing, they realised 'she can actually play so I'm not going easy on her.'

"They were a bit hesitant to tackle me at the start but when I took the ball off them, they soon came in stronger the next time.

"When I transferred to the girls (at the NTC in Melbourne) it was a whole different game and I could hold onto the ball for longer."

O'Keeffe will switch from Galen Catholic College to the sports specialist Maribyrnong College next year, moving down to Melbourne with mum Geni to give herself the best chance of making it at the highest level.

"It hasn't been easy and I'd like to thank my parents the most because of the how much effort it's taken, all the hours spent in the car," O'Keeffe said.

"I've definitely got to give the most credit to them because I wouldn't be where I am without them.

"I'm so excited by what's going to happen in the future.

"This is just the start towards my career in soccer and hopefully so much more is going to happen.

"My number one goal is definitely to play for my country one day."

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