IRELAND WOMEN’S NATIONAL Team (WNT) head coach Colin Bell has named a 20-player squad for an intensive training camp in Abbotstown.
There’s a welcome mix of familiar and new faces on board for the side’s final camp of the year as the Girls In Green look forward to 2019 and the challenges it brings.
Belgium, Wales and Italy are penciled in for international friendlies in the New Year before Ireland kick off their Uefa 2021 European Championships qualifying campaign next September.
One interesting inclusion in the squad is US-born Le Havre goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan. The 22-year-old — she turns 23 later this week — has played for Ireland at U17 and U19 level, and receives her first senior call-up after impressive performances in the French second division. Brosnan was named in the US U23 squad in August.
Shelbourne midfielder Rebecca Cooke and FFC Frankfurt striker Emily Kraft have also been included after glittering exploits with the U17s.
Kraft scored a hat-trick for the Bell-managed young guns as they kicked off their European Championship qualifying round with a 14-0 win over Albania recently, while Cooke has also been excelling.
Star player Denise O’Sullivan has been ruled out after sustaining an injury yesterday as her Canberra United side faced Perth Glory, while Niamh Farrelly has encountered similar fate. The Peamount ace picked up an injury in the Women’s FAI Cup final.
“It’s an important week of training to get some of the key principles of the way we play rehearsed and repeated in preparation for the games next year,” Bell said.
“We’ve got three international friendlies coming up in the new year and to have a week of intensive training will be invaluable in the long term. We need to work on our possession play and playing out from the back which will be extremely important for the UEFA European Championships qualifying campaign.
“Also, we’ve got a number of young players coming through the Women’s Under 17s and Under 19s, and it’s important to give them the experience of training with the senior squad.”
Republic of Ireland WNT squad
Goalkeepers: Marie Hourihan (Brighton and Hove Albion), Grace Moloney (Reading), Courtney Brosnan (Le Harve).
Defenders: Diane Caldwell (SC Sand), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Louise Quinn (Arsenal), Claire O’Riordan (MSV Duisburg), Eabha O’Mahony (Cork City).
Midfielders: Tyler Toland (Maiden City), Jessica Ziu (Shelbourne), Heather Payne (Bristol City), Isibeal Atkinson (Shelbourne), Amy Boyle-Carr (Sion Swifts), Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Rebecca Cooke (Shelbourne).
Forwards: Leanne Kiernan (West Ham United), Emily Whelan (Shelbourne), Amber Barrett (Peamount United), Aislinn Meaney (Galway Women’s), Emily Kraft (FFC Frankfurt).
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