In a startling revelation, Matildas star Mary Fowler shared a troubling experience from her time at Montpellier. Upon leaving the club, her former teammates presented her with a bunch of bananas as a farewell gift, a gesture she found difficult to dismiss as merely a mistake.

Fowler, now 22, joined the French team in 2020 when she was just 17 years old. During her stint, she netted 10 goals in 40 appearances before moving to her current team, Manchester City, two years later.

In her recounting, titled ‘No Great Days,’ Fowler described feeling overlooked by the club. She recounted an incident where a physiotherapist dismissed her complaints of chest pain, adding to her sense of being undervalued.

Adding to her dismay, Fowler noted that other departing players received flowers from their teammates, a courtesy not extended to her and her friend Ashleigh Weerden. This disparity was questioned by some teammates, leaving Fowler to reflect on the lack of recognition she received.

Fowler stated that other players who were leaving the club at the same time were given flowers by members of the squad. But she revealed that no one had bought gifts for her and her friend Ashleigh Weerden. 

Manchester City and Matildas superstar Mary Fowler (pictured) has made a shocking revelation over how she was given bananas as a leaving present by some of her former team-mates

The incident occurred when Fowler was playing for French side Montpellier (pictured playing for the club)

The 22-year-old forward (pictured), who left Montpellier in 2022, stated that she found it hard to see the matter as ‘merely a simple error’ 

‘Afterwards, when we got inside the changing room, some of our team-mates questioned why we hadn’t received any flowers…’ Fowler wrote in Bloom.

‘A few of the girls laughed about it and then one of the other players came over and handed my friend and me some bananas, saying: “Here have these”.

‘Not receiving flowers was one thing, but as two of only six black girls in the squad, receiving bananas wasn’t something I could laugh off and forget about.’

Fowler said she was left stunned by the present. 

‘Was it an accident? Was it the only thing in the dressing room she could give us? Did she mean well by it?

‘I’ve tried to justify it in many different ways… But when I add in the many other times at the club when we were left feeling a similar way, it was hard to see it as merely a simple error.’

She admits in the book that she regrets not doing something about the incident at the time.

‘Instead, we just sat there holding those bananas,’ she explained.

Fowler revealed that she and her friend Ashleigh Weerden (pictured) were both leaving the club at the same time, but no one bought them leaving presents, despite other departing members of the squad receiving a gift 

The shocking revelations have come to light after Fowler (pictured) made the admissions in her new memoir ‘Bloom’

Fowler (pictured with boyfriend Nathan Cleary) stated that she regretted not speaking up on the matter at the time

Fowler later added she felt herself and Weerden had experienced different treatment from club staff to other players at Montpellier.

She recalled in the book how she was once disciplined for catching a lift home from training with Weerden, because the 22-year-old Aussie didn’t have a driving licence.

She explained: ‘Moments like this made it hard for us not to notice we were being treated differently compared to other players.’

She then added that a physiotherapist had accused her of faking chest pains after a club doctor had dismissed her claims.

‘I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Frustrated, I told him I wasn’t making it up, that I could never make up something that could be related to my heart,’ she said.

Motpellier has since issued a statement regarding the matter stating that the club was ‘shocked’ to learn of the claims made by Fowler, before stating that it was committed to stopping all forms of discrimination going forward.  

‘From a purely factual standpoint, the truth is unambiguous. On June 1, 2022, the women’s team played their final home match against Bordeaux,’ a spokesperson from Montpellier said. 

‘At the end of the match, as had been the custom for several seasons, two players whose contracts had expired and who had just worn the club’s colors for the last time were honored with a bouquet of flowers. This is neither the situation of Mary Fowler nor that of the teammate mentioned in her book, both of whom are still under contract with the club until 30/06/2023 and to whom it would therefore have been rather insensitive for the club to offer a “farewell gift”.

‘Regarding the alleged events that took place behind closed doors in the locker room after the match, after consulting with those present that day, no evidence has been found to corroborate his claims or even to identify the alleged perpetrator. 

‘Had such incidents been reported and substantiated, the club would have taken all necessary measures immediately upon being notified. Racism is a serious issue that cannot be exploited. The club wishes to reiterate its ongoing commitment to combating all forms of discrimination.’

Fowler’s claims come after several other players have spoken out against racism in Women’s football in recent months.

Lionesses star Jess Carter said in August that she also wished she had spoken out against the racial abuse that she had suffered on social media.

Fowler (front, left) later added she felt herself and Weerden had experienced different treatment from club staff to other players at Montpellier

It comes as Lionesses star Jess Carter (pictured) explained that she too had been subjected to racial abuse and said: ‘Part of me wished I spoke out about it after the first game’ 

Tottenham star Jess Naz (pictured) revealed in September that she was subjected to racist abuse on social media

‘Part of me wished I spoke out about it straight away after the first game,’ the England star said.

‘Because I think then I wouldn’t have maybe [been] silently trying to deal with it by myself.’

More recently, Tottenham star Jess Naz, was targeted with racist abuse online. 

The 24-year-old Spurs forward stated she was ‘done being quiet’ after revealing she had been targeted on social media.

‘Racism in any form is unacceptable and is important to address this behaviour and ensure that steps are taken to prevent it from happening again,’ she wrote.

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