'I've had it easy for so long' - Arsenal star Kyra Cooney-Cross explains why she joined Gunners this summer

The 22-year-old made the switch from Swedish outfit Hammarby in the summer and has had to patiently wait for opportunities as she competes for a place in the Gunners' stacked squad. Despite her lack of minutes, Cooney-Cross thinks she has benefited from the "intensity" at Arsenal, something she plans to bring to Australia's huge Olympic qualifying tie against Uzbekistan.

"I went to Arsenal because I wanted a challenge," Cooney-Cross told Australia Associated Press. "I felt like for so many years I've had it easy for so long. And I thought 'You know what? I want to challenge myself and make the next big step.' That's what Arsenal provides me. I just need to stay patient and hopefully my time comes. They did plan for me for the future, so hopefully that's not too much longer.

"Coming from Arsenal to the Matildas I want to try and bring the same intensity. You don't want to drop the level. I want to try and be more of a leader because there's some new players coming in, some young players coming in, so I need to start stepping up soon."

Despite her lack of minutes in north London, Cooney-Cross has earned praise from manager Jonas Eidevall and forward Vivianne Miedema who has described the Matildas star as a "raw diamond" with an "amazing" future ahead of her.

Cooney-Cross and the Matildas take on Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Saturday morning in the first leg of their Olympic qualifier, with the return meeting scheduled for the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Wednesday.