Mary Fowler starts for Matildas just HOURS after intimate park date with Nathan Cleary as Sam Kerr is named in team to face Taiwan

Mary Fowler has been included in Australia’s starting line-up to face Taiwan, just hours after her intimate date with Nathan Cleary.

Australia’s hottest romance was confirmed on Wednesday when NRL superstar Cleary was spotted on a date with Matildas forward Fowler in Perth.

They were seen cuddling in a Perth park after Fowler left the Matildas’ team hotel on Wednesday morning, had a coffee and met Cleary.

They could be seen lying together in the middle of an open park by the water – laughing, hugging, chatting and drinking from the same water bottle.

At one point, Cleary took off his shirt and Fowler lay on his chest.

The stars seemed playful as they lay on the grass, throwing empty water bottles into the air and catching them as he put his arm around her and laughed.

They then briefly held each other as they headed back to Cleary’s black SUV, where the couple had a brief conversation in the car before he drove away and Fowler walked back to her accommodation.

Fowler declined to comment when Ny Breaking Australia asked about the romantic display, saying: “Sorry, I just want to go back to my hotel.”

Gustavsson has seen fit to select Fowler in his starting XI tonight, with the Matildas looking to confirm their place in an Olympic qualification play-off next year.

The Matildas coach has selected a strong line-up, with Sam Kerr in the lead after scoring a hat-trick against the Philippines.

It remains to be seen whether Cleary, who was in the stands at Optus Stadium for Sunday’s 8-0 defeat, will head to HBF Park to support Fowler again.

More to follow.

The stars were rumored to be romantically linked for the first time shortly after the Matildas’ World Cup campaign ended

The couple were seen holding hands, laughing, chatting and cuddling in a park overlooking the water near Perth’s CBD