Browsing: Fowler

Matildas coach Joe Montemurro has praised Mary Fowler for speaking up about her mental health challenges, after the Manchester City forward revealed the extent of her depression when she first moved to Europe.

The 22-year-old attacker is currently recovering from a serious knee injury and is expected back on the field in January ahead of the Asian Cup, but released a memoir this week detailing the extent of her experience with depression and self-harm.

Fowler wrote she began having suicidal thoughts when she moved to France to play for Montpellier at age 17. After instances of self harm as a teenager, she said she came close to going further one night at age 20, in a period she was playing in England. “In that moment, I didnâ€t follow through,†she wrote. “But I did sit there for most of the night pleading for anyone up above who would listen to please just take me.â€

Montemurro said being able to overcome and discuss these challenges showed courage. “Itâ€s a little bit of a sign of the pressures that professional athletes and professional sports people are under these days,†he said.

“The more we talk about it, the more itâ€s out in the open, the more that weâ€re honest about it I think is amazing, and this is a perfect example of someone thatâ€s been really courageous and been able to come out with her issues, deal with it and know that there are people behind her, backing her and want to do whatâ€s best for her.â€

Fowler is recovering from a serious knee injury. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Fowler wrote in her book that she struggled with financial pressures and the expectations that came with her increasing profile that were exacerbated when she arrived in France without having French language skills and family support. Her response was to self harm.

“The motivation was to divert my emotional pain. Looking back on it now, itâ€s bizarre that I thought physically harming myself would feel better than dealing with my emotions, but I was young and didnâ€t know how to cope with the situation in front of me,†she wrote.

“I was having a bit of an identity crisis, trying to deal with the expectation to perform and struggling to navigate a difficult work environment.â€

Montemurro said as Matildas coach he has been trying to stay more closely connected to the squad and he visited the players at their clubs in Europe last month, “just see where theyâ€re at, and you get some realities on situations,†the former Arsenal, Juventus and Lyon coach said.

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“The biggest thing that we can do as FA [Football Australia] and the people supporting these players is to just be there if they need to talk to them, if they need something, if they need even to understand where a good place to live in a city is, weâ€re there to help them.â€

Fowler will remain in the UK for the Matildas†coming matches against New Zealand, in Gosford on 28 November and Adelaide on 2 December, although Montemurro said she would return to play in January.

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Sep 30, 2025, 12:10 AM ET

Is there anything Mary Fowler can’t do?

On Monday, the Australia and Manchester City superstar became the first professional footballer to hit the runway for L’Oréal Paris at Paris Fashion Week.

“Stepping onto the runway was an exhilarating experience and different from anything I’ve experienced on the football pitch, ” Fowler said.

“To walk alongside such inspiring figures … reinforced my belief that beauty is about embracing who we truly are and the confidence that comes with it.”

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Some of those inspiring figures included model Kendall Jenner, actress and activist Jane Fonda, Dame Helen Mirren, and EGOT winner, Viola Davis.

“I hope every young woman watching, especially back home in Australia, felt that sense of empowerment and is inspired to embrace their individuality and walk with pride, knowing they are worth it,” Fowler said.

The Matildas’ fan favourite swapped her usual green-and-gold kit for a black gown by American designer, Christian Siriano.

While the world is much more accustomed to seeing Fowler fly down the wing, the Man City attacker is currently sidelined after sustaining an ACL

However, Fowler recently hit a milestone in her recovery, taking to the grass for a run in August.

Matildas fans will be hoping her recovery continues to progress smoothly with the Women’s Asian Cup taking place in Australia in March 2026.

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It might have only been a preseason game, but still, it was
Jacob Fowlerâ€s very first NHL game on Monday night, and he played admirably for the Montreal Canadiens.
Through the 35 minutes he was in the net (and the ensuing shootout), he looked
as calm and collected as could be.

More than the sound positioning and the excellent puck
tracking, thatâ€s what stood out for me. There are markets where that may not be
as important a trait. Still, in hockey-mad Montreal, which has a long line of
goaltending royalty such as Jacques Plante, George Vezina (aptly nicknamed the
Chicoutimi Cucumber), Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, and, more recently, Carey Price,
itâ€s almost essential.

Strong Goaltending Display Leads To Shootout Win
Ex-Canadiens Defender Lands Big Hit On Islanders Prospect
Canadiens: Lineup Shows St-Louis Means Business

If someone watched without knowing anything about Fowler,
they wouldnâ€t have thought he was a rookie. The way he handled himself gave his
teammates the confidence they needed to come back from behind and get the win.

Being a goaltender is no easy task; being the last line of
defense is a huge responsibility, and it takes a particular kind of temperament
to relish that responsibility without crumbling under the enormity of the task.
Fowler appears to be just the right kind of person. Speaking after the game, he
said:

I just love to play hockey. I love to go out on the ice,
whether itâ€s in front of 20,000 people or by myself. I think hockey is just
what makes me calm. A lot of people get wrapped up in different things; for me,
itâ€s just wanting to let the game come to me and enjoy being a hockey player. […]
Itâ€s part of who I am; I just love coming to the rink every day, and itâ€s not a
job for me.

–

That seems to be a trend in Montreal lately: players who
live and breathe hockey and never want to leave the ice. It sounds like Fowler
will fit perfectly with Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov, two other hockey junkies,
so to speak. The Canadiens†scouting staff has done wonders in the last few
years, finding players of that caliber, as well as those of a similar ilk. Of
course, finding Demidov was easy, but betting on Hutsonâ€s love of the sport and
his skill, which allowed him to overcome his small stature, wasnâ€t. As for
Fowler, he was a third-round pick, and so far, it looks like that pick will
turn out to be a steal.

Asked to describe his game-saving stop in overtime, the hero
of the night explained:

Itâ€s hard to put into words. In those types of moments,
whether itâ€s preseason or not, you want to give your team a chance to win, and I
was able to get across and get enough of it. It was fortunate that one didnâ€t
go in, and we ended up getting the win.

–

As good as heâ€s been in this tiny sample, donâ€t get any
ideas – Fowler will spend the season in the AHL. At his age, he needs to see
plenty of action to develop correctly, and he wouldnâ€t get that in the NHL
right now. The organization will no doubt remember how much they believed in
Cayden Primeau and just how much his development suffered from being underplayed
during the pandemic.

No one ever stayed in the AHL for too long. Fowler is a diamond
in the rough, and itâ€s worth taking the time to polish him just right before
bringing him up to the NHL.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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