Michaela ‘Mickey’ Togias is a 11-year-old football sensation from Sydney’s south-west. Having never played football before, at the age of six, Mickey came home from school asking to play for ‘Team Girl Power’ in a summer competition. It wasn’t long until Mickey signed up with local team Oran Park Rovers where she could finesse her skills before successfully trialling for her local representative team, the Macarthur Rams. 

Mickey has always been the smallest in her teams, but what she lacks in size she makes up in courage. She was only eight years old when she played her first season for the Rams in their U10s squad, and in her second season in 2022 she was the top goal scorer for her team. 

Last year, Mickey attended a Juventus Academy Trial. She was initially nervous because she was the only girl there, but she managed to impress the coaches and they offered her a spot in their squad to play in Italy this June. She’s also caught the eyes of English Premier League Academy scouts at the Global Football Network Showcase who have offered her a scholarship to play in the UK August 2023. 

There are many challenges that Mickey has had to overcome when playing football, such as her size, her gender, injuries and her age, however with hard work and dedication, she has been unstoppable. She seeks inspiration from the Matildas, with some of her favourite players being Hayley Raso, Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter. She hopes to inspire other young girls like herself to dream big.