Not only did she receive the call of her life letting her know she’d been selected for the Matildas squad, but she celebrated an additionally special milestone the same day.

Currently, Ralston is training in Denver, Colorado, as the Matildas prepare to take on the US on Friday.

The 23-year-old’s call up was 12 years in the making, but her solid performances for Sydney FC have earned her some much-deserved recognition from the Matildas new Head Coach, Ante Milicic.

“I started playing football for my local team, the Camden Falcons, when I was seven and loved the game from early on,” Ralston said.

“As I got older, I started playing representative football in the women’s NPL with the Macarthur Rams and worked my way into a few NSW state teams before being selected for the Young Matildas.

“I made my debut for Sydney FC when I was 17, during the 2012/13 season and now, seven years later, I am lucky enough to be playing as part of the Australian national team in Colorado,” she continued.

The reliable defender credits both her consistency and the ability of her teammates as reasons behind her Matildas call up. It was only last month that Sydney captain, Teresa Polias said she’d love to see the affectionately known ‘Lizzie’ get a shot at her first Matildas cap.

“I feel like over the last seven years with Sydney I’ve done similar things, so I’d like to think it was my consistency that Ante noticed,” Ralston said.

“I really enjoyed my last season in the W-League and I think being so successful, always draws attention to the squad and I was lucky enough to play with a lot of talented players which definitely helped.”

The 2018/19 W-League champion said the day she found out she was called up to the squad was one of immense excitement, but that excitement stemmed from more than just the thought of her long-awaited Matildas debut.

“When I found out I had been called up to the squad I was really excited!” she said.

“I actually found out the same day my sister had her baby, Hugh, who is my first little nephew,” the proud new aunty explained.

“I was getting updates about how she was going, so I quickly flicked a message to the family group chat just to say that I’d been selected and was heading to the States. It ended up being a very exciting day for the whole family!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Meet my nephew Hugh William Brown 💙

A post shared by @ elizabethralston on

As for what she wants to bring to the squad, Ralston hopes she can act as a dependable teammate while also learning as much as she can from those around her.

“I’m really grateful just to be here and for the opportunity, I’ve been given. It is a big step up for me so I’m learning with every training session.

“I like to think I’m a reliable player so hopefully I can bring a bit of consistency, but I definitely have a lot of things to work on to become the best player I can be and play the best football that I can.

“As long as I can contribute in a positive way, learn as much as I can and just relish the experience, that is a win for me.”

When it comes to her plans for the future, Ralston has her sights set on the task at hand, wanting to focus on her experience in Denver before thinking about potential FIFA 2019 Women’s World Cup selection.

“It’s a fairly daunting task to come into your first camp playing against the number one team in the world, but we’ve got a fabulous group of players so I’m really excited to be involved,” she said.

“I’m trying to just focus on the moment and work on my own game. I want to learn as much as I can from this experience, keep training to the best of my ability and put in the best performances I can. Hopefully by doing that I’ll give myself the best possible chance for future selection.”