Teigen Allen played an integral role in the Matildas’ Asian Cup-winning campaign that climaxed on Sunday night with a penalty shootout victory over North Korea.

The 16-year-old was not used by coach Tom Sermanni in the final but made a number of appearances in the preliminary games including her Matildas debut in the opening match against Vietnam and her first starting role in the 1-0 semi-final win over Japan.

It was that semi-final victory that earned the Matildas a spot at the next women’s World Cup as one of the top three sides in Asia.

Sermanni was ecstatic with the squad’s performances in China.

“I think this would be the best highlight of my career so far,” said Sermanni on the Football Australia website. “With this group of girls and the lead-up we had this is just a fantastic result.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this group of girls and what they have achieved in such a short time.”