Footy superstar Nathan Cleary responds to rumours he’s dating Matildas star Mary Fowler after being spotted on intimate riverside walk

Footy superstar Nathan Cleary has responded to rumors he is dating Matildas World Cup heroine Mary Fowler.

‘KIIS intern Pete ‘Deppeler’ Kyle and Jackie O’s show quizzed the Penrith Panthers player about his rumored relationship after visiting the team’s home stadium in Sydney on Tuesday.

“Clearly we need to address the elephant in the room: are you dating Mary or not?” Pete asked.

“No, no, no, we’re not going into that,” Nathan replied.

Pete then asked Nathan’s teammate Jarome Luai if the romance rumors are true.

‘If there was one player who dated a Matilda player who would it be? Nathan Cleary?’ he asked.

“I talked to him about it,” Pete added as Jarome wondered, “Really. What did he say?’

“He was very reluctant, but he said yes. Do you talk about it a lot in the locker rooms?’ Pete continued.

‘We are certainly looking forward to it. He was also a little shy about it at first, so we’re trying to get some information out of him,” Jarome explained.

Nathan, 25, and Mary, 20, sparked romance rumors last month after strolling along the banks of the Nepean River together.

According to News Corp, the photo was taken two weeks before the pair were seen “enjoying an ice cream” together after a promotional event with Adidas.

The riverside meeting – which took place on August 8, the day after Australia defeated Denmark in the World Cup – would have been the duo’s second appearance together in just over a fortnight.

“We were walking along the River Nepean when we saw them,” said a Penrith resident who saw the couple.

‘They took pictures and chatted with other locals, and walked up and down the Nepean River together for quite some time.’

Nathan and Mary follow each other on Instagram, although the footballer lives in Britain, where she plays for the Women’s Super League’s Manchester City.