CARLA WARD IS on the phone as she walks into a Dublin hotel.
The Ireland manager laughs that she’s rarely off it. It never stops.
As Christmas approaches, Ward is in town on business and has put some time aside to meet The 42.
An extra-hot skinny latte is the coffee order. No slimline milk? No problem. Full fat will do.
The weekend was spent in Disneyland with her six-year-old daughter, Hartley. “I’m a big kid myself, we had a lot of fun,” Ward, who turns 42 today, smiles.
Work has continued through the enjoyment, with March’s World Cup qualifiers looming. Her assistant head coach Alan Mahon stepped down for personal reasons earlier this month, and the process to replace the “wonderful human being” is underway.
“I think the interviews will take place in early, early January, and hopefully, soon after that, we’ll make an appointment.”
After years of club management with Sheffield United, Birmingham City and Aston Villa, Ward has found international football offers a better work/life balance. There are reminders every day, like being able to attend Hartley’s first Nativity play, or collect her from swimming and dancing. “I’ve always been close to my little girl, but I think I’ve got closer.”
Like with everything, there are pros and cons. The former player must miss the day-to-day beat?
“Naturally. Look, any coach that tells you that they don’t want to be on the grass every day is lying, I’m sure. You do miss that, of course,” she says.
“But then I really like this aspect of the job because I’m more of a manager than a head coach. I like to manage the environment. I like to manage the culture, the players, the staff within the organisation, manage up. I enjoy all those pieces, so it’s been a little bit more of that. I’ve enjoyed that and I’ve learnt a lot from doing that as well.”
There’s a different pressure and expectation, too. Ward speaks warmly of the Irish people; regularly being stopped in Dublin and on holiday during the summer to talk about football.
“You do feel the weight of the nation on your shoulders.”
Unveiling day. Shortly before the press conference starts at Aviva Stadium, former assistant head coach Colin Healy releases a blistering statement hitting out at out at the FAI. The focus shifts.
Lights, camera, action. Flanked by former director of football Marc Canham and CEO David Courell, Ward’s appointment becomes a mere footnote, as the biggest day of her career descends into chaos.
“Do you know what was actually going through my mind? I was expecting someone to ask me about the National Anthem, so I prepared the first two lines in my head,” she says.
“Listen, it was obviously a really tough moment for the organisation. I didn’t really understand it in full. For me, it was just the case of, yes, it was a storm, but hoping the storm would pass. I thought that was a moment that you kind of leave to the powers that be to deal with.
“I was there, I would say, to answer questions, but I didn’t get many, did I? It was a tough moment because it was something I was really excited about. But it happens, that’s football.”
It set the tone for much of the year ahead, with Ward declaring in October that “since I’ve come into the job, 80% hasn’t been football”. Thankfully, that balance has since tilted.
Responding to one of the few questions she was asked, Ward said she and Ireland were “the perfect match”. Some 12 months on, that feeling is stronger than ever.
“My background,” she says, “I’ve come from an upbringing where you need a lot of resilience. I’ve gone through many moments in my life where you get knocked down, you get back up, you go again. It’s a working class mentality. You work hard for everything that you get, you’re given absolutely nothing. I’ve been at clubs where you have to get the extra percent through an attitude, a mindset, a work rate. And that is the Irish in abundance.
“It’s a work rate, a mentality. They don’t expect anything, they want to give you everything. And I love that because I don’t think there’s many nations where you can honestly say, ‘These girls are so passionate about representing their country.’ I can tell you many stories about players that genuinely cry when you call them and tell them that they’re in the squad. The passion that they show, it matches exactly what I love about the game.”
Denise O'Sullivan and Katie McCabe. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
She inherited a squad reeling from the heartbreaking Euro 2025 playoff defeat to Wales — and exits of Healy and Eileen Gleeson — and facing into a period of transition. Niamh Fahey, Diane Caldwell, Julie-Ann Russell, Louise Quinn and Megan Campbell would all retire. But Ireland’s two biggest names would lead from the front.
“Denise O’Sullivan, I don’t think you really understand how good she is until you work with her,” Ward says. “She is, in my opinion, a world-class individual. And I genuinely believe she can play anywhere. She is an absolute breath of fresh air to work with. She’s one of the very, very best.
“When you’re taking a team led by Katie McCabe, you know that you’ve got something to work with as well. She’s a fantastic player. A year before when I was doing their (Arsenal) game versus Bayern Munich, I said, for me, she was the best left-back in the world, and I was disappointed not to see her in that Ballon d’Or top few. That year, I thought she was outstanding. I couldn’t wait to work with Katie, with Denise, with all the other players — I’d worked with a few of them before. They were in good shape and I was excited.”
***
Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Chastening night for Ireland as Carla Ward’s side stunned in Slovenia.
A humiliating 4-0 defeat was Ireland’s heaviest since 2018 and worst competitive loss in over 12 years. They had scraped past Turkiye four days earlier at Tallaght Stadium to open the Ward era with a win, but Koper was debilitating and demoralising.
The hurt of the playoff defeat, and the scars of Wales, manifested, with the low ebb the squad found themselves at laid bare.
Ward on the line in Koper. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“I don’t think I really found that out until post-Slovenia,” Ward reflects. “I learned an awful lot from that moment. There was such a deep hurt after that game. I think it would have been difficult for anybody to come in when I came in. But I don’t think I realised that at the time, probably because you’re excited to get going.
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“I think Slovenia was possibly the best moment . . . not the best moment, I take that back, sorry . . . a pinnacle moment in the year. Without that evening in Slovenia, I’m not sure we would be where we are. It allowed us to tap into the hurt. It allowed us to look at what we’re doing right, what we’re doing wrong, what the players needed, what we had available, who could play where.
“I made an awful lot of mistakes that night with various different bits within the system. But also, I think a lot came to the surface. So actually when you go away after Slovenia, where everybody thought it was the worst thing in the world, when you look back now, I think that happened at the right time, and allowed us to really deep dive into what we needed to be better at, how we needed to be better, what support we needed. And that was a really, really vital point of the year.”
Ward took full ownership as manager, and confronted the challenge head on. The past was spoken about in depth, with plans meticulously plotted for the future.
“People say don’t get too high in the highs and don’t get too low in the lows. You get low in the lows and you never get too high in the highs.”
“There were probably people that doubted am I the right person,” she adds. “That happens.”
Did you doubt it?
“After Slovenia I did question am I the right person? Of course you do. But I’m the biggest self-reflector, despite what anyone might think, I self reflect on everything.
“If there’s any part of any session — mine or anybody’s — that doesn’t quite go the way I want it to, it really plays on me. It bothers me, and it affects my mood actually. You do question (yourself) all the time, you self reflect.”
Fully consumed by football, so. Ward nods. “You live and breathe it, I think I always have done. Rightly or wrongly. People have said to me, ‘You always put your career first.’ I think I’ve always been so fixated and obsessed with my career that I do.
“My little girl laughs, she’ll be like, ‘What are you working for now?!’ You do have to bring yourself back and go, ‘Okay, I’m not going to answer the phone while it’s bath or bed time.’ You have to set aside some time, which I’m not very good at. It’s 24/7.”
Asked how she switches off, there’s no hesitation. “The gym. I love going to the gym. I’m a bit of a foodie, I love going to restaurants. The gym and restaurants. I like travel.
“Those three is how I switch off, but I’d say the gym mainly. If I’m in a bad mood or I feel like I need to pick myself up, I’ll go to the gym.”
***
Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Larkin strikes late as Ireland secure Nations League promotion on dramatic night in Belgium.
A 90th-minute goal won the two-legged tie 5-4 on aggregate. The groundwork was laid in a brilliant 4-2 win at the Aviva Stadium as Ireland went some way towards banishing the ghost of Wales on their return to Dublin 4.
Salvaging a 2-1 defeat at the death in Leuven secured League A status — guaranteeing a playoff for the 2027 World Cup as Ireland now gear up for a group campaign against France, Netherlands and Poland.
“Honestly, I believed we could win the game,” says Ward of the first leg. “When I considered what we needed against Belgium, I kept talking throughout the year about wanting to play with the ball. And I know I got a lot of criticism, because nobody felt like we could – externally, that is. I consistently believed we’ve got really good footballers and it is a confidence and a belief and a mindset thing.
“I believed if we could play with the ball, nullify their spaces, play in a different system, we’d have every chance. Did I ever imagine it would have been a night like that under the lights? No. But my word, you have to take your hat off to the players. The energy they brought to that game, the way they executed that game plan was absolutely brilliant. They deserve a huge amount of credit for that night. I’m going to be biased, but I genuinely think that was one of the best Ireland performances in a long time.”
Moments later, she’s elevating the second half in Leuven as “the best half of football since I’ve been in charge . . . better than the Aviva.”
With Abbie Larkin’s winner, the dam broke. Bedlam after a roller-coaster few months.
“You don’t actually see me on the RTÉ footage, because I was down at the corner flag! I was running down there to celebrate, I was going absolutely wild. The players weren’t even over there, they were on the other side of the pitch, I was just going crazy.
“It was unbelievable. When the final whistle went and it set in, I was exhausted. You know when you’re so tired, you almost can’t enjoy yourself? I think I had dinner and whilst I would have liked to enjoy a drink, I just couldn’t. I was ready for bed.”
Exhaustion, emotion, and a thought for someone very special.
***
We sung, we danced, we laughed, we cried. Thank you for being one of the very best.
2025 was the year Ward said goodbye to a former managerial rival who became “one of my best friends in life”.
Matt Beard died in September, aged 47. The outpouring of love for the ex-Liverpool manager spoke volumes. A great coach, a better person.
RIP: Matt Beard. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
‘Beardy’ has been remembered as a larger than life character, who helped transform English women’s football on and off the pitch. Ward previously told the Upfront podcast that she regularly called him, often when he was in the bath enjoying a beer.
“We used to speak in the early hours of the morning, if he lost games, if I lost games,” she picks up. “We probably spoke when times were at their toughest or when we just needed a good laugh together.
“The Belgium camp, we had a lot of success in that first game but I needed a sounding board and he was always my sounding board. I wanted to talk to him about those moments and you couldn’t.
“There was a thought for him afterwards. He kept telling me, ‘You can do it, you can get there.’ You almost want to ring him. It was tough.
“He was an unbelievable man, a man of the people, a man that looked after everybody. I met him solely through the game, he looked after me, he cared for me, we got on. He treated my daughter like an absolute princess. We had a lot of good times.
“He was just one of the very, very best in the game. The game has changed, and you don’t quite get humans like that any more. He’s so missed from the game.
“I could go on about him forever. I miss him dearly.”
***
An outsider’s view on Irish football is always interesting. Especially someone whose background is the polished, structured English system, with no shortage of experience as both a manager and a player.
Start with the positives, bring in the issues and challenges. Ward doesn’t hesitate.
“There’s a lot of quality young players here. We talked about this quite early on when I came in, because I think there’s a perception that the Irish league is up there with the Championship when, realistically, it’s nowhere near.
“The Championship has taken 10, 15 years to get there. I think the Irish league is doing some really good work, there’s some really good human beings in the system and I think it will only get better and better. I think there’s more that can be done. I would love to see more done.”
Like what?
“I think the academy government funding is going to be absolutely huge,” she says.
“There’s no easy fixes or quick fixes, but I definitely think there’s an opportunity to get some working groups together where you can progress staff, and that will allow better infrastructure, better knowledge.
“A support network for coaches I think would be really important. It’s not something that’s been discussed yet, but I think it’s definitely something that can be looked at. There are some really good coaches and really good people in that league. They’re always open to conversations, and I think it will be important that that continues and probably needs to increase going into next year.”
Bigger picture, where are the key areas of focus?
“Look, everything comes down to money now, doesn’t it? That’s the reality. And it’s really difficult for clubs to go full time when they don’t have the funding and the resource. I think if you can slowly build the resources up, from the ground up, then obviously it makes things a little bit easier.
“But that’s not around the corner. There’s going to have to be funding for that. There’s going to have to be clubs willing to put into the women’s (side), and money doesn’t grow on trees, as we know.
“So it will be a slow burner, but so was the English league . . . so was the English league . . . we’re talking about the maturity of the league. Just because the English league and every other league is flying, we can’t compare the League of Ireland. Its maturity is a lot less, but can we just give it its time and keep progressing in all the small areas?”
Asked where England has the jump on Ireland in terms of producing players, again, Ward immediately answers. McCabe and O’Sullivan are unquestionably our superstars; the Lionesses have a squad full of world-class players who won back to back Euros.
“The strength of the academy system,” she says. “And I think that’s why this under-15 academy system in Ireland is going to be vital for the next 10 years of the game here.
“I think the academy system in England, starting at as young as 12, is massive. Full-time. When I was at Villa, the academy, they’re in full-time. That’s massive. And education alongside the football, I think if there was a system like that in Ireland, I think it could be huge.”
We discuss common themes from her media engagements throughout the year, going over old ground: The prospect of an U23 international team “bridging the gap” but the lack of finances — and non Fifa requirement — mean it’s highly improbable for some time. The jump from League of Ireland and U19 international to senior. The “people crying out to me” to further include both pools in squad selection.
“Listen, I think any part-time players going into a full-time setting is difficult. So you think part-time players going into an international setup is even more difficult. And I think we’ve seen that.
Ireland celebrate after their playoff win against Belgium. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“We’ve looked at a few League of Ireland players this year. They’ve been fantastic, each and every one of them. It’s just a different competitive level. You have to also look after them, because like I said, going from part-time to full-time is massive, but going from part-time to international football is even bigger.”
Managing players from all these different levels must be tricky. Some days you might have a Champions League winner in McCabe going up against a part-time, domestic player who trains twice or three times a week.
“Yeah, look, it has its challenges, but this is a group of players that’s really tight-knit. They’re like a family, they look after each other. Katie understands where she’s at.
“They all buy into each other, they all help each other and they all really thrive off each other. When I say they’re like a family, they really are like a family. Where they’re at doesn’t really come into it. They push each other, they drive each other, they back each other, and that’s so important.”
And what’s McCabe like as captain? “She’s good. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and that’s what you want from a captain.
“We talk about the Roy Keane era, right? Katie’s got a bite, and I like that. You need that. She drives the team. You look at that performance against Belgium (at home). I said after the game, that was her best performance in an Ireland shirt, in my opinion. I think the second half against Belgium (away) was even better. She set the tone, she was front-footed. When Katie’s at it like that, the team follows, and that’s a credit to her.”
When that phrase is put to her and she’s asked who springs to mind, Ward smiles.
“My Mum, which might sound like a cliché answer. We went through a lot growing up, how she got through life with the three of us . . . a single mum with three of us, we were homeless for a period, we were in emergency accommodation for a period, how she did it with the three of us, I take my hat off to her.
“She made sure I always had football boots, she did every shift from cleaning to pot washing to make sure I had my football boots to play football because she knew it was important. She made sure my brother had a skateboard, my other brother had a bike because he was a biker. I would say my Mum, and I got a lot of my resilience from my Mum.”
A nod to Lucy, a nice note to finish on, and Ward is soon on her way again.
She’s back in Dublin today to celebrate her birthday, but a taxi to the airport must be ordered for now.
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The Carla Ward interview - 'I did question am I the right person for the Ireland job?'
CARLA WARD IS on the phone as she walks into a Dublin hotel.
The Ireland manager laughs that she’s rarely off it. It never stops.
As Christmas approaches, Ward is in town on business and has put some time aside to meet The 42.
An extra-hot skinny latte is the coffee order. No slimline milk? No problem. Full fat will do.
The weekend was spent in Disneyland with her six-year-old daughter, Hartley. “I’m a big kid myself, we had a lot of fun,” Ward, who turns 42 today, smiles.
Work has continued through the enjoyment, with March’s World Cup qualifiers looming. Her assistant head coach Alan Mahon stepped down for personal reasons earlier this month, and the process to replace the “wonderful human being” is underway.
“I think the interviews will take place in early, early January, and hopefully, soon after that, we’ll make an appointment.”
After years of club management with Sheffield United, Birmingham City and Aston Villa, Ward has found international football offers a better work/life balance. There are reminders every day, like being able to attend Hartley’s first Nativity play, or collect her from swimming and dancing. “I’ve always been close to my little girl, but I think I’ve got closer.”
Like with everything, there are pros and cons. The former player must miss the day-to-day beat?
“Naturally. Look, any coach that tells you that they don’t want to be on the grass every day is lying, I’m sure. You do miss that, of course,” she says.
“But then I really like this aspect of the job because I’m more of a manager than a head coach. I like to manage the environment. I like to manage the culture, the players, the staff within the organisation, manage up. I enjoy all those pieces, so it’s been a little bit more of that. I’ve enjoyed that and I’ve learnt a lot from doing that as well.”
There’s a different pressure and expectation, too. Ward speaks warmly of the Irish people; regularly being stopped in Dublin and on holiday during the summer to talk about football.
“You do feel the weight of the nation on your shoulders.”
***
Thursday, 12 January 2025
Unveiling day. Shortly before the press conference starts at Aviva Stadium, former assistant head coach Colin Healy releases a blistering statement hitting out at out at the FAI. The focus shifts.
Lights, camera, action. Flanked by former director of football Marc Canham and CEO David Courell, Ward’s appointment becomes a mere footnote, as the biggest day of her career descends into chaos.
“Do you know what was actually going through my mind? I was expecting someone to ask me about the National Anthem, so I prepared the first two lines in my head,” she says.
“Listen, it was obviously a really tough moment for the organisation. I didn’t really understand it in full. For me, it was just the case of, yes, it was a storm, but hoping the storm would pass. I thought that was a moment that you kind of leave to the powers that be to deal with.
“I was there, I would say, to answer questions, but I didn’t get many, did I? It was a tough moment because it was something I was really excited about. But it happens, that’s football.”
It set the tone for much of the year ahead, with Ward declaring in October that “since I’ve come into the job, 80% hasn’t been football”. Thankfully, that balance has since tilted.
Responding to one of the few questions she was asked, Ward said she and Ireland were “the perfect match”. Some 12 months on, that feeling is stronger than ever.
“My background,” she says, “I’ve come from an upbringing where you need a lot of resilience. I’ve gone through many moments in my life where you get knocked down, you get back up, you go again. It’s a working class mentality. You work hard for everything that you get, you’re given absolutely nothing. I’ve been at clubs where you have to get the extra percent through an attitude, a mindset, a work rate. And that is the Irish in abundance.
“It’s a work rate, a mentality. They don’t expect anything, they want to give you everything. And I love that because I don’t think there’s many nations where you can honestly say, ‘These girls are so passionate about representing their country.’ I can tell you many stories about players that genuinely cry when you call them and tell them that they’re in the squad. The passion that they show, it matches exactly what I love about the game.”
She inherited a squad reeling from the heartbreaking Euro 2025 playoff defeat to Wales — and exits of Healy and Eileen Gleeson — and facing into a period of transition. Niamh Fahey, Diane Caldwell, Julie-Ann Russell, Louise Quinn and Megan Campbell would all retire. But Ireland’s two biggest names would lead from the front.
“Denise O’Sullivan, I don’t think you really understand how good she is until you work with her,” Ward says. “She is, in my opinion, a world-class individual. And I genuinely believe she can play anywhere. She is an absolute breath of fresh air to work with. She’s one of the very, very best.
“When you’re taking a team led by Katie McCabe, you know that you’ve got something to work with as well. She’s a fantastic player. A year before when I was doing their (Arsenal) game versus Bayern Munich, I said, for me, she was the best left-back in the world, and I was disappointed not to see her in that Ballon d’Or top few. That year, I thought she was outstanding. I couldn’t wait to work with Katie, with Denise, with all the other players — I’d worked with a few of them before. They were in good shape and I was excited.”
***
Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Chastening night for Ireland as Carla Ward’s side stunned in Slovenia.
A humiliating 4-0 defeat was Ireland’s heaviest since 2018 and worst competitive loss in over 12 years. They had scraped past Turkiye four days earlier at Tallaght Stadium to open the Ward era with a win, but Koper was debilitating and demoralising.
The hurt of the playoff defeat, and the scars of Wales, manifested, with the low ebb the squad found themselves at laid bare.
“I don’t think I really found that out until post-Slovenia,” Ward reflects. “I learned an awful lot from that moment. There was such a deep hurt after that game. I think it would have been difficult for anybody to come in when I came in. But I don’t think I realised that at the time, probably because you’re excited to get going.
“I think Slovenia was possibly the best moment . . . not the best moment, I take that back, sorry . . . a pinnacle moment in the year. Without that evening in Slovenia, I’m not sure we would be where we are. It allowed us to tap into the hurt. It allowed us to look at what we’re doing right, what we’re doing wrong, what the players needed, what we had available, who could play where.
“I made an awful lot of mistakes that night with various different bits within the system. But also, I think a lot came to the surface. So actually when you go away after Slovenia, where everybody thought it was the worst thing in the world, when you look back now, I think that happened at the right time, and allowed us to really deep dive into what we needed to be better at, how we needed to be better, what support we needed. And that was a really, really vital point of the year.”
Ward took full ownership as manager, and confronted the challenge head on. The past was spoken about in depth, with plans meticulously plotted for the future.
“People say don’t get too high in the highs and don’t get too low in the lows. You get low in the lows and you never get too high in the highs.”
“There were probably people that doubted am I the right person,” she adds. “That happens.”
Did you doubt it?
“After Slovenia I did question am I the right person? Of course you do. But I’m the biggest self-reflector, despite what anyone might think, I self reflect on everything.
“If there’s any part of any session — mine or anybody’s — that doesn’t quite go the way I want it to, it really plays on me. It bothers me, and it affects my mood actually. You do question (yourself) all the time, you self reflect.”
Fully consumed by football, so. Ward nods. “You live and breathe it, I think I always have done. Rightly or wrongly. People have said to me, ‘You always put your career first.’ I think I’ve always been so fixated and obsessed with my career that I do.
“My little girl laughs, she’ll be like, ‘What are you working for now?!’ You do have to bring yourself back and go, ‘Okay, I’m not going to answer the phone while it’s bath or bed time.’ You have to set aside some time, which I’m not very good at. It’s 24/7.”
Asked how she switches off, there’s no hesitation. “The gym. I love going to the gym. I’m a bit of a foodie, I love going to restaurants. The gym and restaurants. I like travel.
“Those three is how I switch off, but I’d say the gym mainly. If I’m in a bad mood or I feel like I need to pick myself up, I’ll go to the gym.”
***
Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Larkin strikes late as Ireland secure Nations League promotion on dramatic night in Belgium.
A 90th-minute goal won the two-legged tie 5-4 on aggregate. The groundwork was laid in a brilliant 4-2 win at the Aviva Stadium as Ireland went some way towards banishing the ghost of Wales on their return to Dublin 4.
Salvaging a 2-1 defeat at the death in Leuven secured League A status — guaranteeing a playoff for the 2027 World Cup as Ireland now gear up for a group campaign against France, Netherlands and Poland.
“Honestly, I believed we could win the game,” says Ward of the first leg. “When I considered what we needed against Belgium, I kept talking throughout the year about wanting to play with the ball. And I know I got a lot of criticism, because nobody felt like we could – externally, that is. I consistently believed we’ve got really good footballers and it is a confidence and a belief and a mindset thing.
“I believed if we could play with the ball, nullify their spaces, play in a different system, we’d have every chance. Did I ever imagine it would have been a night like that under the lights? No. But my word, you have to take your hat off to the players. The energy they brought to that game, the way they executed that game plan was absolutely brilliant. They deserve a huge amount of credit for that night. I’m going to be biased, but I genuinely think that was one of the best Ireland performances in a long time.”
Moments later, she’s elevating the second half in Leuven as “the best half of football since I’ve been in charge . . . better than the Aviva.”
With Abbie Larkin’s winner, the dam broke. Bedlam after a roller-coaster few months.
“You don’t actually see me on the RTÉ footage, because I was down at the corner flag! I was running down there to celebrate, I was going absolutely wild. The players weren’t even over there, they were on the other side of the pitch, I was just going crazy.
“It was unbelievable. When the final whistle went and it set in, I was exhausted. You know when you’re so tired, you almost can’t enjoy yourself? I think I had dinner and whilst I would have liked to enjoy a drink, I just couldn’t. I was ready for bed.”
Exhaustion, emotion, and a thought for someone very special.
***
We sung, we danced, we laughed, we cried. Thank you for being one of the very best.
2025 was the year Ward said goodbye to a former managerial rival who became “one of my best friends in life”.
Matt Beard died in September, aged 47. The outpouring of love for the ex-Liverpool manager spoke volumes. A great coach, a better person.
‘Beardy’ has been remembered as a larger than life character, who helped transform English women’s football on and off the pitch. Ward previously told the Upfront podcast that she regularly called him, often when he was in the bath enjoying a beer.
“We used to speak in the early hours of the morning, if he lost games, if I lost games,” she picks up. “We probably spoke when times were at their toughest or when we just needed a good laugh together.
“The Belgium camp, we had a lot of success in that first game but I needed a sounding board and he was always my sounding board. I wanted to talk to him about those moments and you couldn’t.
“There was a thought for him afterwards. He kept telling me, ‘You can do it, you can get there.’ You almost want to ring him. It was tough.
“He was an unbelievable man, a man of the people, a man that looked after everybody. I met him solely through the game, he looked after me, he cared for me, we got on. He treated my daughter like an absolute princess. We had a lot of good times.
“He was just one of the very, very best in the game. The game has changed, and you don’t quite get humans like that any more. He’s so missed from the game.
“I could go on about him forever. I miss him dearly.”
***
An outsider’s view on Irish football is always interesting. Especially someone whose background is the polished, structured English system, with no shortage of experience as both a manager and a player.
Start with the positives, bring in the issues and challenges. Ward doesn’t hesitate.
“There’s a lot of quality young players here. We talked about this quite early on when I came in, because I think there’s a perception that the Irish league is up there with the Championship when, realistically, it’s nowhere near.
“The Championship has taken 10, 15 years to get there. I think the Irish league is doing some really good work, there’s some really good human beings in the system and I think it will only get better and better. I think there’s more that can be done. I would love to see more done.”
Like what?
“I think the academy government funding is going to be absolutely huge,” she says.
“There’s no easy fixes or quick fixes, but I definitely think there’s an opportunity to get some working groups together where you can progress staff, and that will allow better infrastructure, better knowledge.
“A support network for coaches I think would be really important. It’s not something that’s been discussed yet, but I think it’s definitely something that can be looked at. There are some really good coaches and really good people in that league. They’re always open to conversations, and I think it will be important that that continues and probably needs to increase going into next year.”
Bigger picture, where are the key areas of focus?
“Look, everything comes down to money now, doesn’t it? That’s the reality. And it’s really difficult for clubs to go full time when they don’t have the funding and the resource. I think if you can slowly build the resources up, from the ground up, then obviously it makes things a little bit easier.
“But that’s not around the corner. There’s going to have to be funding for that. There’s going to have to be clubs willing to put into the women’s (side), and money doesn’t grow on trees, as we know.
“So it will be a slow burner, but so was the English league . . . so was the English league . . . we’re talking about the maturity of the league. Just because the English league and every other league is flying, we can’t compare the League of Ireland. Its maturity is a lot less, but can we just give it its time and keep progressing in all the small areas?”
Asked where England has the jump on Ireland in terms of producing players, again, Ward immediately answers. McCabe and O’Sullivan are unquestionably our superstars; the Lionesses have a squad full of world-class players who won back to back Euros.
“The strength of the academy system,” she says. “And I think that’s why this under-15 academy system in Ireland is going to be vital for the next 10 years of the game here.
“I think the academy system in England, starting at as young as 12, is massive. Full-time. When I was at Villa, the academy, they’re in full-time. That’s massive. And education alongside the football, I think if there was a system like that in Ireland, I think it could be huge.”
We discuss common themes from her media engagements throughout the year, going over old ground: The prospect of an U23 international team “bridging the gap” but the lack of finances — and non Fifa requirement — mean it’s highly improbable for some time. The jump from League of Ireland and U19 international to senior. The “people crying out to me” to further include both pools in squad selection.
“Listen, I think any part-time players going into a full-time setting is difficult. So you think part-time players going into an international setup is even more difficult. And I think we’ve seen that.
“We’ve looked at a few League of Ireland players this year. They’ve been fantastic, each and every one of them. It’s just a different competitive level. You have to also look after them, because like I said, going from part-time to full-time is massive, but going from part-time to international football is even bigger.”
Managing players from all these different levels must be tricky. Some days you might have a Champions League winner in McCabe going up against a part-time, domestic player who trains twice or three times a week.
“Yeah, look, it has its challenges, but this is a group of players that’s really tight-knit. They’re like a family, they look after each other. Katie understands where she’s at.
“They all buy into each other, they all help each other and they all really thrive off each other. When I say they’re like a family, they really are like a family. Where they’re at doesn’t really come into it. They push each other, they drive each other, they back each other, and that’s so important.”
And what’s McCabe like as captain? “She’s good. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and that’s what you want from a captain.
“We talk about the Roy Keane era, right? Katie’s got a bite, and I like that. You need that. She drives the team. You look at that performance against Belgium (at home). I said after the game, that was her best performance in an Ireland shirt, in my opinion. I think the second half against Belgium (away) was even better. She set the tone, she was front-footed. When Katie’s at it like that, the team follows, and that’s a credit to her.”
***
With both coffees drank and the table cleared, we step out of the realm of 2025 and Irish football as the interview winds down.
Ward referenced her upbringing and background matching “the Irish mentality” earlier, and The 42 is keen to circle back.
After her appointment in January, we mapped the manager’s journey from playing street football in a council estate in Torquay to the top of the game.
The people and places that shaped her.
When that phrase is put to her and she’s asked who springs to mind, Ward smiles.
“My Mum, which might sound like a cliché answer. We went through a lot growing up, how she got through life with the three of us . . . a single mum with three of us, we were homeless for a period, we were in emergency accommodation for a period, how she did it with the three of us, I take my hat off to her.
“She made sure I always had football boots, she did every shift from cleaning to pot washing to make sure I had my football boots to play football because she knew it was important. She made sure my brother had a skateboard, my other brother had a bike because he was a biker. I would say my Mum, and I got a lot of my resilience from my Mum.”
A nod to Lucy, a nice note to finish on, and Ward is soon on her way again.
She’s back in Dublin today to celebrate her birthday, but a taxi to the airport must be ordered for now.
On the phone, once more.
It never stops.
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