‘I could have killed him’: Mackenzie Arnold reveals how Olympics snub made her a star

In her own words, Mackenzie Arnold “could have killed him” when Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson overlooked her for the Tokyo Olympics.

Three years on, and six weeks out from making her long-awaited Games debut in Paris, Arnold credits Gustavsson’s tough love and faith for resurrecting her career.

A hero of Australia’s captivating run to last year’s World Cup semi-finals, Arnold has established herself as the Matildas’ clear first-choice goalkeeper for Paris.

The stunning rise is a far cry from the crushing devastation the now 30-year-old felt after missing selection for Tokyo.

“When a new head coach comes in, all you want to do is impress them and try and make that impact on them and get yourself into the starting XI,” Arnold told fans this week at a Sydney Vivid lounge chat with Gustavsson.

“The last Olympics, when I was left out of the squad, was probably the lowest point in my career. And at the time I could have killed him, honestly.

“I had been in the team for however long and I felt like I was coming into my own and the last game leading up to the selection I completely blew it, and I knew that.

“I played terrible and I had just come back from an MCL (medial collateral ligament injury) on my knee. I wasn’t ready.

“But I was just like, ‘No, this is my time, I’m going to do it’.

“I just didn’t understand, I didn’t have the maturity as a player to really understand what I needed to do mentally and physically to put myself in the best position.”

Looking back, Arnold accepts the decision not only proved the best for the team, but was the making of her.

Mackenzie Arnold has established herself as the Matildas’ first-choice since the Tokyo Games. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

“Ultimately, it was what had to happen,” she said, recalling the dark days of sitting in the stands forlornly as a reserve in Japan.

“And I do believe that I needed to go through that period of how hurt I was, and the disappointment, to then come out the other side and start my journey again to where I am now.

“Credit to Tony, not just because he’s sitting here, but he gave me the chance to start again.

“All through that period and the whole Olympics when we were in Tokyo, I don’t think I properly spoke two words to (him), but he understood the hurt and the disappointment that I was going through and he gave me my space.

“When we came back after that, we started a new cycle. Tony gave me the chance to start again.

“And after being up at him and starting to play the way I did and sort of falling in love with football again, I was able to start again and ultimately get to this point.”

Gustavsson says Arnold’s experience should serve as a lesson to all young players.

“We all go through different adversity in life, right, and we want it to be perfect,” he said.

“But there will be hiccups and tough situations in life, and it is how we deal with it that really shows the true character.”