The 16-year-old defender played 12 games in her first season in the W-League in 2015/16 and played five gaes for the Matildas, becoming the youngest footballer to take part in the Olympics. It included the final 15 minutes of Australia's 6-1 thumping of Zimbabwe in the group stage.

Carpenter has played four games this season for the Wanderers - missing round one's 4-2 loss to Perth Glory while on Young Matildas duty for the 2017 Asian Cup Qualifiers.

"It still feels surreal," Carpenter told FourFourTwo.

“It was just amazing to get over to Rio (for the Olympics) and that game against Brazil, the quarter-final, was in front of 65,000 people - it was just insane.

“Just to experience that and to be there in the history books was amazing.”

Carpenter training with Matildas and Wanderers mentor Caitlin Cooper in Brazil

Now that the Young Matildas qualified for the 2017 AFC Asian Cup, Carpenter hopes to have involvement in both the U20s and senior national team.

Her teenaged teammates were quick to highlight Carpenter's humility despite her experience on the biggest sporting stage.

The Wanderers star added: “I’m always myself and I never think I’m better than anyone else. In that team I just love all the girls,” she said.

“I want to work with them and encourage them to be better, but also for them to push me to be better."

After playing with the Matildas Carpenter says she can give teammates in the U20s squad an insight into what it takes "to get to the next stage".

“I just love going back and playing with girls my age and I find it really fun and enjoyable," she said.

“It’s not much of a step down, just the pace of the game at international level, it’s a lot faster and the game is a lot quicker.

“The U20s and the younger national youth teams aren’t up to that pace, but it’s definitely getting there I reckon.”

Carpenter playing a friendly against New Zealand in regional Victoria

Carpenter begins Year 11 next year and is involved in the Pathways program which allows her to juggle professional football with her studies.

She also aspires to play in Europe in the future.

Her Wanderers sit seventh on the W-League table with one win in five games.

Carpenter said the team had no issues creating opportunities and praised the four Americans in the team – Kendall Fletcher, Katie Stengel, Paige Nielsen and Alex Arlitt.

“They fit in really well, especially Paige and Kendal in the midfield there, Katie up front and I think if we just finish our chances then I think we’ll be good,” she said.

“I definitely want to go overseas one day, I’m not sure when at the moment, I’m really looking to go over there and widen by experience in football.”