“IT HAS BEEN one of the best years of my life in terms of football and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
When you consider what Ciara Rossiter has achieved over the past 12 months, it is hard to argue with her.
In March, the defender helped her local club Wexford Youths claim the Women’s National League (WNL) for the very first time — beating dethroned champions Raheny United 2-1 to clinch the title.
The 19-year-old showed a maturity well beyond her years for Youths and she was recognised for her displays at the WNL Annual Awards. As well as earning a place in the Team of the Season, Rossiter was named the league’s Young Player of the Year.
Their league victory also means another first for manager Will Doyle’s team, as they embark on their maiden voyage in the Women’s Champions League this week. Grouped with Cardiff Met, Lithuanian side Gintra Universitetas, and Polish hosts Medyk Konin, the four clubs will battle it out for top spot and a place in the last 32 — starting tomorrow against Gintra.
It may be their debut campaign in Europe, but Rossiter is quietly confident that they can emulate rivals Peamount (2011) and Raheny (2014) by reaching the knock-out stages.
“I think we have a great chance,” she told The42. “We’re very well-prepared and we all believe in ourselves that we can go out and top the group by working as hard as we can in all three matches.
“Will has been telling us that it is going to be one of the biggest experiences of our lives. Getting to play European football with your club doesn’t come around too often so he has just told us to enjoy it and take the opportunity when it comes.
“It’s going to be great to test myself against all these professional and international players.”
Waterford IT student Rossiter, who recently represented Ireland at the World University Games in South Korea, was handed her senior international debut in May as Ireland lost 3-0 to the US in San Jose.
It may have been a disappointing result, but she still holds fond memories of the occasion.
It was amazing,” she recalls. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to get my first senior cap. To play against the (recently-crowned) World Cup champions in front of that many people was absolutely unbelievable.”
Currently balancing football and her studies, Rossiter has no plans just yet to follow in the footsteps of several of her international team-mates by carving out a career abroad, but it remains a long-term ambition of hers.
“I’d really love to go and play outside Ireland,” she revealed. “It would be unbelievable so hopefully I get the opportunity to do that sometime in the future.”
