Matildas star Hayley Raso has sparked conversation after sharing a seemingly affectionate photo with club teammate Rebecka Blomqvist on social media.
Both athletes are currently playing for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. Raso joined the team after leaving Tottenham last year, while Blomqvist made the transition from VfL Wolfsburg.
While Raso is openly gay, there is no indication from the Daily Mail that she and the Swedish international are romantically involved.
The 31-year-old recently delighted her Instagram followers with pictures from her Christmas celebration on the Gold Coast, where she spent time with family and friends.
In October, Raso expressed her joy upon reaching 100 appearances for the Matildas, a milestone that seemed impossible at one point due to a severe back injury.
Matildas star Hayley Raso has set tongues wagging with football fans after posting a photo on social media next to club teammate Rebecka Blomqvist
Both stars are on the books of Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, with Raso making the move from Tottenham while Blomqvist was previously at Wolfsburg
Raso, 31, also shared a number of images recently on Instagram after spending Christmas on the Gold Coast with family and friends
The winger then had to swap an Australian summer for winter in Germany where she plays her club football
Back in 2018, while playing for Portland in the United States, Raso suffered a serious injury, breaking three vertebrae. Her recovery process was challenging, requiring her to relearn how to walk.
Remarkably, Raso returned just six months after the injury, progressing from a wheelchair to the W-League pitch for Brisbane Roar.
‘I remember during that injury and during my rehab questioning whether I would be able to play again, if I would come back again,’ Raso told reporters.
‘I had a lot of fear around that.
‘It definitely made me a lot stronger, and I’ve come out the other side of that, and I’ve continued to play at the top level for a long time.
‘I’ve ended up here, sitting here, talking about my 100th game, which I didn’t think, in that moment, I would ever reach.’
Raso returned to the national squad in 2019 and played in the World Cup in France, before making her Olympic debut at the 2021 Tokyo Games.
She earned her first Matildas call-up in 2012 at the age of 17, and led Australia as captain on home soil for the first time last year in their international friendly with Panama in July.
Raso started her football journey on the Gold Coast – and she hasn’t forgotten her roots
Raso earned her first Matildas call-up in 2012 at the age of 17 – and has since chalked up 100 plus appearances for the national team
‘It gives me goosebumps,’ Raso said.
‘I’ve been in this team for such a long time, so I feel like there’s been a bit of a roller-coaster of emotions, ups and downs, (we have) been in a lot of tournaments.
‘It’s like my home, it’s my family. ‘When I think about it like that, its really special to have played for this team for so long.’
Part of the core group of seasoned Matildas veterans, Raso relishes her role as a leader in the national squad.
‘I don’t know at what point I became this experienced player, but I can definitely feel it after being here for so long,’ she said.
‘I do try and help out the younger players, just to make sure they can find their feet.’
