"I started off wanting to do what they were doing but as I got older I enjoyed football so Sarah and Harry inspired me to go to that level as well," says the Hastings Girls' High School pupil who remembers watching Sarah receive her shirt in Auckland before her world cup trip.
Her parents, Hana and Steve Morton, were at the ceremony yesterday to share their daughter's emotions.
"They are really excited their youngest is achieving her dreams and things like that," says Morton, adding they will watch games if they are televised live on Sky.
The Year 11 pupil has been training with the 21-member cup squad in Auckland for a fortnight under coach Gareth Turnbull, of Christchurch.
She is billeted with teammate Claudia Bunge, studying during the day and training from 6.30pm to 8pm at QEB Stadium in Albany on week days.
Morton, who plays for Palmerston North Marist women's first team during winter, is excited about her first overseas trip to play football.
"The quality of football in Palmy North is much better because we play against Wellington sides," says the holding centre-mid player.
She sees her position as someone who controls the tempo of the game and anchors the team.
Turnbull prefers a high intensity style of play, which yielded a 5-0 result against the Auckland Federation women's team last Sunday.
The Kiwi U17s are in pool A in the cup with hosts Jordan, Mexico and Spain in the 16-team event representing six confederations.
They play Mexico first up at Amman International Stadium on September 30 before facing Spain on October 3 at Irbid and the hosts on October 7 at Zarqa.
Morton isn't sure what Turnbull has in store for her in Jordan because he has been trying numerous combinations during training to keep everyone guessing.
"Whether I get on or not it'll be an amazing experience for me," she says, mindful getting out of their group is imperative. Sarah's team didn't go through in 2014.
Needless to say temperatures in the Middle East nation will hover around the mid-20s to mid-30s mark although the humidity is mercifully 38 per cent.
Morton doesn't know much about Jordan.
"I know they have a lot of camels," she says with a laugh, revealing the team excursions will include a trip to the Dead Sea and Petra, the historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan.
Adept in academic pursuits, she is juggling it with her sporting quests.
"By the time I get back it'll be study weeks so I'll be ready for exams so I won't be missing much," says the teenager who has been frequenting Bunge's school, Rangitoto College, to use its library.
Morton salutes Birnie and Bay United coach Brett Angell for helping her through the Central Federation Talent Centre Programme.
"It's really beautiful."
She also is indebted to her self-employed father for driving her every weekend to play for her Palmy North club on Sundays and train on Mondays.
"It's hard but it's worth it," says Morton who played for numerous Bay clubs.
Birnie says it's "extremely rewarding" to see Morton come through Central Football's Federation Pathway over the past five years, firstly through the talent centre and then the national women's league squad.
"It is great to see that Rose has been rewarded for the hard work and commitment that she has put in over a number of years," he says, adding the selection is a testimony to all the work that has gone into her behind-the-scenes development across several environments.
