- Superstar athletes have been together since last year
- Normally, Cleary has spoken in detail about romance in private
Nathan Cleary gave his fans a revealing account of the beginnings of his romance with Matildas star Mary Fowler, before addressing the stunning speculation surrounding how their relationship became public.
The 26-year-old is widely regarded as the best player in the NRL and has spoken openly for the first time about the moment he was involved in a ‘car chase’, shortly after exclusive photos obtained by the Daily Mail first made their relationship public.
Our photos show the couple sharing a touching moment in a Perth park last November after Cleary travelled from Sydney to watch Fowler play for the Matildas. From that moment on, everything changed for both of them.
“When I was with her, it felt like we were two normal people… and then all of a sudden people were taking pictures of us, and then they were being published, and then there were articles, and then there were people waiting outside my house,” Cleary told the Marlee and I podcasting.
The couple have largely ignored the attention as their relationship has grown, but one episode – unrelated to any of the Daily Mail Australia stories about them – stands out for the Penrith Panthers halfback.
“One day I was driving and noticed I was being followed by a car,” he said.
‘Then I took a couple of turns, took a couple of turns, they took the exact same turns. I was basically in a chase.
‘That was, like, mind blowing to me. I get it, I guess, because people care about you [about the romance].
The photos that changed everything: Cleary is seen sharing a touching moment with Fowler in Daily Mail Australia’s exclusive photos from November last year
The NRL star’s shirtless photos sparked speculation he had set up the photo opportunity – a rumour he has finally debunked almost a year later
“It all happened so quickly, and now that her relationship was in the public eye, it was hard to take in.”
Cleary also slammed rumours that he had staged photos of him and Fowler hugging in Perth. The fact that he was shirtless at the time fuelled speculation that he had tipped off the photographer.
“I swear to God I had no idea,” he said.
‘In the run-up to that, we were probably pretty indifferent about how much people actually cared.
‘After the park we went back to the car and then we saw someone there with a big camera, and a few hours later everything came out.’
And despite being one of Australia’s most recognisable and popular athletes, the three-time championship winner admitted that Australians sometimes ignore him in favour of Mary when they want to have their photo taken with him.
‘Sometimes I get brushed. [Fans say] ‘Oh, not you.’
Since the photos of Perth made their relationship public, the sporting superstars have shared many loved-up photos as they made their love official on Instagram
Cleary also lifted the lid on the paparazzi chase he was involved in as interest in his relationship with the Matildas and the Manchester City star reached a fever pitch
The pair first attracted attention as a potential couple when they were spotted together taking a leisurely stroll along the Nepean River in Penrith, Sydney’s west, last year.
They were then spotted sharing an ice cream after a promotional event for Adidas, a brand endorsed by both parties.
Since the Perth photos were taken, the couple have shared many loved-up snaps on social media, with Fowler chatting to Cleary when she’s back in Australia to take a break from her work at Manchester City or to fulfil her playing and training commitments with the Matildas.
Last week, rumours emerged that Cleary could move to the English Super League to be closer to his partner.
According to what is being described as bizarre speculation, the Panthers playmaker is considering taking a year out from the NRL in a move that would send shockwaves through Australian football.
However, that seems unlikely as Panthers boss Brian Fletcher and Cleary’s manager George Mimis insist the idea was never discussed with them.