Former Matildas coach Tom Sermanni is openly trying to woo Indiah-Paige Riley's national allegiance for his current New Zealand Football Ferns.
Riley is one of the standout prospects for the Young Matildas at the moment, plying her trade successfully in Europe for Danish giants Fortuna Hjorring.
Riley recently scored a hat-trick for the club after quickly settling in on the continent and despite numerous appearances for the Young Matildas, the nation of her birth is swooping for her services.
“It’s our job to try and get the best team possible so anybody who is eligible to play for New Zealand will come on the radar for us, and if we hear about it it’s very important that we follow it up and see where it takes us, and Indiah certainly comes under that bracket,” Sermanni told NZ outlet Stuff.
“She's obviously had some international experience at younger age groups and played regularly in the W-League so she already has some kind of profile and it would be negligent of us not to show an interest in a player like that.
“When you look at her pedigree and what she’s done so far, she’s got a pedigree which suggests at some stage she’s probably going to be an international player, and I’m making that judgement not having any contact with her in a football sense other than watching her play for Brisbane Roar.
“But when you look at the background you think there’s potential there to become an international player, and based on that potential, if she’s open to it, and she's born in New Zealand, it’s important for us to have a look at her and bring her into our system the best way we can.”
Riley has said multiple times that she would open to represent either nation, but the opportunity to bed herself into the Football Ferns' squad well before the 2023 World Cup - given the huge competition for Matildas places - may prove too good to give up.
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