IRELAND BOSS CARLA Ward has heaped praise on Katie McCabe ahead of her expected move to Chelsea.

The 30-year-old Ireland captain is leaving Arsenal after an impressive 10-and-a-half-year stint that included winning a Super League title, an FA Cup and Champions League glory.

Speaking ahead of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier with the Netherlands on Friday, in which McCabe is set to play a key part, Ward said: “Katie would be a good fit for any team in the world. She’s a top, top player. I’ve said it a lot. She’s the best left-back in the world, no question about it.

“Last year, she was in every single WSL Team of the Year, no matter where you looked. Katie would be a good fit for anybody, and any team will be lucky to have her.”

Ward was also asked about the potential for protests at the upcoming match at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, after Ireland’s men’s team’s recent friendly with Qatar was overshadowed by a tennis ball protest urging the Football Association of Ireland to boycott the country’s Nations League games with Israel later this year.

“Look, it’s not a good situation, is it, for anybody? And I think it’s a difficult situation for everybody involved. I don’t know, is the answer, if we are expecting that, but our focus will be solely on the Netherlands and trying to win that game.”

Ireland go into their final two matches in better shape than many pundits would have anticipated.

Ward’s side are one and two points adrift of top seeds France and the Dutch, respectively, while back-to-back wins over Poland in the last qualifying window mean they are all but assured of avoiding relegation to League B.

Only first place guarantees World Cup qualification, though finishing second or third results in a conceivably easier route in the play-offs.

Topping the group is still possible, though maximum points from their next two fixtures will likely be needed to achieve this feat.

“The position we’re in, let’s be really honest, I don’t think anyone in world football would give us a chance with two games to go to be competing where we are now,” Ward added.

“There’s no bigger motivation than that league table. There’s no bigger motivation than playing the very best, and this group of players is hungry to be better all the time.

“I say it all the time at every press conference I’ve been in – I’m big on belief and confidence, and you have to have an attitude and a mindset that you can compete against anybody, and this will be no different.

“We’re [hosting] one of the best teams in the world with world-class players, and it’s an honour to be playing against those types of teams, so we’ll embrace it, and hopefully we can do what we need to do.”

Denise O’Sullivan and Emily Murphy are suspended for the match against the Netherlands, but the remainder of the 25-player squad is likely to be available.

Everyone has trained this week except for Caitlin Hayes and Saoirse Noonan, who were involved in cup finals with Brighton and Celtic on Sunday and are due to land in camp this evening.