Nathan Cleary was reunited with Mary Fowler on Tuesday as he picked her up at Sydney airport after the pair were forced to spend months apart.

Cleary, 26, went public with his Matildas superstar girlfriend Fowler, 21, earlier this year when they were spotted enjoying a romantic date together in Perth, putting a stop to endless speculation about their relationship status. 

The halfback was later spotted attending the Matildas’ win over Taiwan, with Fowler visibly delighted to see her new beau watching on from the stands before firing in a fine goal. 

The NRL gun has been apart from his girlfriend since early November, with Fowler returning to England to play for Manchester City while Cleary enjoyed the off-season with a trip to the United States.

But the pair were reunited for their first Christmas together with a photo of the couple meeting at the airport on Tuesday night circulating on social media.

The sporting superstars went public in late October when Daily Mail Australia captured exclusive photos of them in a Perth park (pictured), but have been apart ever since

Fowler has been playing football in England (left) while Cleary has been enjoying the off-season (right)

Fowler was expected back in Australia on December 20, but appears to have arrived a day earlier than planned.

Both athletes are said to be very private when it comes to their relationships, but Cleary recently admitted that the intense spotlight on his personal life is something he didn’t expect. 

‘Obviously it’s different from when I was young coming into first grade and people are dissecting my game. I hadn’t had that before,’ Cleary told News Corp.

‘That was a hurdle at the time. You start to learn to deal with that.’

The three-time premiership-winning halfback has accepted that the media attention is not something he can control, either.

‘It’s also pretty similar to (personal life). I haven’t had too many people look into my personal life. But it’s just what comes with it. It’s something that I can’t control,’ he said.

Cleary was in attendance for the Matildas game against Taiwan in November this year

Fowler was visibly delighted to see her boyfriend and scored a fine goal

‘I just got to keep moving on and not read into it too much.’

During his party-packed off-season Cleary has been pictured partying in New York and rubbing shoulders with NFL greats as well as attending UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden and catching an NBA game in Philadelphia.

Fowler was recently on international duty with the Matildas in Canada, with Tony Gustavsson’s side losing both games against the Olympic gold medalists to end 2023 on a sour note.