REPUBLIC OF IRELAND head coach Carla Ward has named a 23-player squad for the opening 2027 World Cup Uefa qualifiers against France and Netherlands.
Megan Connolly returns after missing the tail end of 2025 through injury. The versatile Corkonian is listed among the midfielders, but has been starring at centre-back for Lazio of late.
“She’s been exceptional this season,” Ward told her squad announcement press conference.
“She’s in good form. She’s playing well – and consistently. She’s a leader. She’s part of our leadership group, so she’s got a strong voice. It’s really important that we get her back in.
“She can play in numerous positions. I’ve always liked her in the middle of the park, but she can play anywhere centrally, whether that’s the back line or the midfield line. So, a really important person to have back in.”
Amber Barrett is also back in the fold, having missed the year-ending friendly against Hungary in Marbella as she was afforded extra time to recover from a knock. She has since moved from Standard Liege to Strasbourg, making a fast start to life there with two goals in four games.
Courtney Brosnan is another headline inclusion: the number one goalkeeper was ruled out of November’s Nations League play-off success against Belgium. She was held in reserve for the Hungary friendly in Marbella, as Sophie Whitehouse won her first cap.
Advertisement
Ruesha Littlejohn is called up despite having just returned to club football after serving an extended, five-game ban for violent conduct in action for Crystal Palace in November. The 93-cap midfielder clocked her first minutes as an injury-time substitute in last night’s 3-1 win over Birmingham City.
On that particular decision, Ward said: “I think you weigh up every player, particularly those that are experienced players.”
“What I’ve said before is Ruesha is critical in terms of the environment and her leadership skills for senior players. We’re thankful that actually, when we’ve weighed up that midfield, what are the options, who’s been playing what minutes, who hasn’t; she’s been training consistently since the last camp.
“Obviously she’s had a suspension, she’s played a couple of in-house games, I know very few minutes last night. But yeah, there are always conversations because that midfield, there’s a lot of players that aren’t particularly playing minutes, but the beauty of it is we’ve got Lily Agg that’s close to returning to full fitness [from an ACL injury] and she was on the fringes, being really honest as well, as were a couple of others. It’d be good moving forward, getting plenty of options in there.”
Ruesha Littlejohn with Carla Ward. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Kyra Carusa also gets the nod amid a lack of game time: the US-born striker recently secured a return to HB Køge in Denmark, and is on loan at Kansas City Current after leaving San Diego Wave at the end of the NWSL season.
Heather Payne is absent after the Everton defender recently returned from injury, while Tara O’Hanlon, Izzy Atkinson, Jess Ziu and Kelly Brady also miss out following inclusion in recent squads.
Ireland open their campaign against familiar foes France to Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday, 3 March [KO 7.30pm, live on RTÉ 2], before travelling to Utrecht to face Netherlands four days later.
Poland are the other team in their League A group, with the winners qualifying automatically for Brazil 2027 and all others guaranteed a play-off spot.
“Let’s be really honest, if France and the Netherlands is a World Cup final, we’re all thinking it’s a very good final, aren’t we?” Ward added. “Because they’re going to be two teams that, in my opinion, are favourites going into it.
Related Reads
Eight big Ireland WNT transfers in January as Katie McCabe looks likely to leave Arsenal
'I had this feeling that I really needed a change' - Denise O'Sullivan's Liverpool challenge
The Carla Ward Interview - 'You feel the weight of the nation on your shoulders'
“You would imagine that they make the World Cup. I think that you’d imagine both of them to be in the latter stages, if not trying to win it. So we’re under no illusion.
“Look, let’s be really honest, we’re the underdogs. It’s an Irish mentality that the nation loves; we thrive off that, playing against the very, very best, competing against the very best. I think it puts us in a position to see where we are and challenge.
“Top three is the goal. I think that has to be. We can’t get ahead of ourselves and think that winning the group or top two is where we should be. I think we have to be realistic and say, if we can finish top three, that is good.”
Ireland WNT squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton FC), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic), Grace Moloney (Sunderland).
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Lazio's Connolly returns as Ireland squad named for opening World Cup qualifiers
LAST UPDATE | 2 hrs ago
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND head coach Carla Ward has named a 23-player squad for the opening 2027 World Cup Uefa qualifiers against France and Netherlands.
Megan Connolly returns after missing the tail end of 2025 through injury. The versatile Corkonian is listed among the midfielders, but has been starring at centre-back for Lazio of late.
“She’s been exceptional this season,” Ward told her squad announcement press conference.
“She’s in good form. She’s playing well – and consistently. She’s a leader. She’s part of our leadership group, so she’s got a strong voice. It’s really important that we get her back in.
“She can play in numerous positions. I’ve always liked her in the middle of the park, but she can play anywhere centrally, whether that’s the back line or the midfield line. So, a really important person to have back in.”
Amber Barrett is also back in the fold, having missed the year-ending friendly against Hungary in Marbella as she was afforded extra time to recover from a knock. She has since moved from Standard Liege to Strasbourg, making a fast start to life there with two goals in four games.
Courtney Brosnan is another headline inclusion: the number one goalkeeper was ruled out of November’s Nations League play-off success against Belgium. She was held in reserve for the Hungary friendly in Marbella, as Sophie Whitehouse won her first cap.
Ruesha Littlejohn is called up despite having just returned to club football after serving an extended, five-game ban for violent conduct in action for Crystal Palace in November. The 93-cap midfielder clocked her first minutes as an injury-time substitute in last night’s 3-1 win over Birmingham City.
On that particular decision, Ward said: “I think you weigh up every player, particularly those that are experienced players.”
“What I’ve said before is Ruesha is critical in terms of the environment and her leadership skills for senior players. We’re thankful that actually, when we’ve weighed up that midfield, what are the options, who’s been playing what minutes, who hasn’t; she’s been training consistently since the last camp.
“Obviously she’s had a suspension, she’s played a couple of in-house games, I know very few minutes last night. But yeah, there are always conversations because that midfield, there’s a lot of players that aren’t particularly playing minutes, but the beauty of it is we’ve got Lily Agg that’s close to returning to full fitness [from an ACL injury] and she was on the fringes, being really honest as well, as were a couple of others. It’d be good moving forward, getting plenty of options in there.”
Kyra Carusa also gets the nod amid a lack of game time: the US-born striker recently secured a return to HB Køge in Denmark, and is on loan at Kansas City Current after leaving San Diego Wave at the end of the NWSL season.
Heather Payne is absent after the Everton defender recently returned from injury, while Tara O’Hanlon, Izzy Atkinson, Jess Ziu and Kelly Brady also miss out following inclusion in recent squads.
Ireland open their campaign against familiar foes France to Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday, 3 March [KO 7.30pm, live on RTÉ 2], before travelling to Utrecht to face Netherlands four days later.
Poland are the other team in their League A group, with the winners qualifying automatically for Brazil 2027 and all others guaranteed a play-off spot.
“Let’s be really honest, if France and the Netherlands is a World Cup final, we’re all thinking it’s a very good final, aren’t we?” Ward added. “Because they’re going to be two teams that, in my opinion, are favourites going into it.
“You would imagine that they make the World Cup. I think that you’d imagine both of them to be in the latter stages, if not trying to win it. So we’re under no illusion.
“Look, let’s be really honest, we’re the underdogs. It’s an Irish mentality that the nation loves; we thrive off that, playing against the very, very best, competing against the very best. I think it puts us in a position to see where we are and challenge.
“Top three is the goal. I think that has to be. We can’t get ahead of ourselves and think that winning the group or top two is where we should be. I think we have to be realistic and say, if we can finish top three, that is good.”
Ireland WNT squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton FC), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic), Grace Moloney (Sunderland).
Defenders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal FC), Anna Patten (Aston Villa FC), Caitlin Hayes (Brighton & Hove Albion), Hayley Nolan (Crystal Palace), Aoife Mannion (Newcastle United), Jessie Stapleton (Nottingham Forest – loan), Chloe Mustaki (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Denise O’Sullivan (Liverpool), Tyler Toland (Durham), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Marissa Sheva (Sunderland), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Ruesha Littlejohn (Crystal Palace), Jamie Finn (Sunderland).
Attackers: Saoirse Noonan (Celtic FC), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Leanne Kiernan (Nottingham Forest – loan), Emily Murphy (Newcastle United), Kyra Carusa (Kansas City Current – loan), Amber Barrett (Strasbourg).
- Updated 2.10pm with quotes from Carla Ward’s press conference
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Football Ireland WNT Soccer WNT