'Pinch me moment': Matildas star Caitlin Foord bowled over by Wollongong mural

Seeing a 14-metre mural of herself outside a Wollongong building did just that on Tuesday.

"When I look at that, it's absolutely insane," Foord told the Mercury.

"I would never in a million years imagine that when I started playing that I would be on the side of a Wollongong shopping mall in my hometown, it's a bit of a pinch me moment.

"I'm excited. A lot has happened since then. I'm just really honoured to be put up there, hopefully for a very long time."

Warilla junior Foord was tipped for big things from an early age and has fulfilled that promise.

The 29-year-old plays for one of the best teams in the world - Arsenal in the English Super League - and has gone to four World Cups with the Matildas.

Next month she will represent the national team at her third Olympics in Paris.

The former Illawarra Stingrays player admitted life was good now but her journey to get to the top had been difficult, as it has been for many women footballers.

"It has been tough but a lot have had it tougher than me. The girls a bit earlier wish what I had and now what we've got, I wish we had when I started off," Foord said.

"It's been a tough journey along the way, a lot of hours in the car to get to training, a lot of financial difficulties for mum, growing up with me and my sister, just making do to get me to where I needed to be. That's what set me up to be able to do what I'm doing now."

Wollongong Central commissioned local artist Claire Foxton to paint the mural of Foord outside the Keira Building, to highlight the incredible talents of two young women at the top of their game.

Foord became the youngest Australian to play at a World Cup when she was selected for the Matildas in 2011, aged 16.

Foxton, who has produced a large body of public art across Australia, New Zealand and the USA, said she jumped at the chance to paint a mural of Foord and her dog Peach.

"I knew it would be something special," she said.

"It ticked all the boxes of it being a local job and it's Caitlin, she's just a superstar.

"Just being able to paint her on a large scale, celebrating the fact that the Matildas have done so much for women's sport, and being a part of that celebration is huge.

"It was a no-brainer.

"The fact she loved it is as well, makes it even more special.

"It's nice to see her in the flesh too, and actually see the mural and then see her and go, 'OK, yeah I did it, it looks like her'.

"And Peach her dog was quite challenging to paint, which was funny. I thought that she would be easier than Caitlin, but she was quite challenging, so I'm kind of happy to see her finished.

"I'm glad I got the opportunity to do it. It's super important for these sorts of things to happen.

"I feel like the most special aspect of the whole project was seeing young girls come in their jerseys and stand out the front and get photos in front of it.

"And it just goes to show that so much has happened in the last few years in women's sport and also in art.

"And just to see someone up there that they can aspire to be is so incredible."

Foord shares that view, and says being acknowledged through a public artwork in her home region is "an amazing privilege".

"To be recognised in this way for playing a sport I love with an incredible team of women is phenomenal," she said.

"The Illawarra has produced many successful sportspeople and I'm proud, and a little overwhelmed, by this tribute.

"Claire has done an amazing job to learn about who I am and what is important to me and has represented that in this mural, right down to Peach, my dog. I hope her work inspires the next generation of both sportswomen and artists in the region.

'[The mural] is a nice little indicator to have for young girls and boys when they're just coming into the shops to see that 'I can do that as well'.

"That's something that I didn't have growing up so I'm glad that change has been able to happen here in Wollongong.

"That's what all the young boys and girls get to see when they walk in and can dream big."

Wollongong Central's mural of Caitlin Foord can be seen on the outside wall of the Keira Building, Richardson Lane (off Market Street) in Wollongong.