ELLEN MOLLOY IS living in the moment, conscious not to look too far ahead.
The 21-year-old Wexford midfielder is back in the Ireland squad after a testing period.
“I kind of put the enjoyment side of football first the last few months. To be honest I wasn’t expecting this call-up, I was just focusing on club,” Molloy says.
“But I was absolutely delighted when I got the call from Carla.”
Molloy is one of the brightest young talents in Irish football, but her rise hasn’t been straightforward.
An ACL injury in October 2022 robbed her of a potential World Cup dream, while her first foray into professional football lasted just four months at Sheffield United.
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The transition was a difficult one and her love of the game waned, while “family reasons” contributed to her decision to return home in January. Molloy’s grandmother, Breda Roche, died in October, having been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer shortly before her move to Sheffield in September.
The loss of her “number one supporter” was devastating, as she told The Irish Times last month, and she knew she needed to be surrounded by family and friends at home, and long-time club Wexford, as she rediscovered her love for football and lust for life.
“I think when I came back from the injury, I was maybe forcing trying to make up time, when probably what I should have put first was getting back consistently playing well and feeling like I was back to myself,” Molloy says.
“I don’t regret going over and I can’t fault Sheffield at all, it was a great club, the support they gave me was unbelievable. It was just more so the timing of everything, it just didn’t feel right for me.
“It was probably a bold move to come home and maybe an unpopular move to some people, but looking back, I think it was the right move at the time.
“I kind of just stripped it all back, took the pressure off and went back to my roots. In the last few months I’ve started to really enjoy football again and I think you can see that in the way I’ve been playing.”
The Thomastown natove is back lighting up the Women’s Premier Division after a steep learning experience, personally and professionally.
Molloy in action for Sheffield United last September. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
She’s thriving in home comforts, planning to resume her PE and Geography Teaching studies in University of Limerick in September, having deferred the four-year course after one when she moved to Sheffield. She has been teaching in recent months, enjoying balancing work and studies with football again and keeping busy, as opposed to having a one-track mind.
It seems to work best for her, but Molloy isn’t opposed to giving professional football another shot.
“I wouldn’t rule out going away again. I don’t know when… I think I’ve learned a lot from my experience and whenever the time feels right, I wouldn’t rule it out. But I’m just focusing on the next few weeks and I don’t want to look too far ahead right now.
“I got a taster of what professional football is like and there’s a lot more to it than just playing football every day. It’s the time that you’re not playing football that you have to fill. It is probably something not spoken about enough and there probably should be more awareness around that side of it. I would know what to expect if an opportunity did come up again.
“I probably struggle with too many options, I don’t know what the right way to go is. It’s just trying to get the balance and just really figure out what the right move is for me.
“I don’t really have a long-term plan at the moment. I’m just enjoying my football right now.”
Ireland’s two-game tour of the US this week will offer a feel for full-time football once more, which Molloy is relishing as she makes a conscious effort to “bridge the gap” with two team training sessions and a game per week with Wexford.
“The league is definitely growing. You can see it’s a lot more competitive. Obviously there is no question there is a difference in the standard between the league here, we’re a few years behind, but it definitely is going in the right direction.”
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As GAA takes hold through the summer, Molloy laughs that her family is “probably the only one in Kilkenny that doesn’t play hurling or camogie,” but she enjoys watching it.
Another local is also making waves in the football world, Colm Whelan of Bohemians, and the pair often crossed paths during their ACL recoveries.
“I’d know Collie quite well around Thomastown. It’s not a big town. He did a bit of rehab at David Roche’s in Kilkenny and I would have done a bit of rehab there too. We would have been in touch a bit.
“It’s great to see him back and doing so well at Bohs. We both never really forget our roots. Thomastown have been great to me and still are. I’m delighted for him.”
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'It was probably a bold move to come home and maybe an unpopular move to some people'
ELLEN MOLLOY IS living in the moment, conscious not to look too far ahead.
The 21-year-old Wexford midfielder is back in the Ireland squad after a testing period.
“I kind of put the enjoyment side of football first the last few months. To be honest I wasn’t expecting this call-up, I was just focusing on club,” Molloy says.
“But I was absolutely delighted when I got the call from Carla.”
Molloy is one of the brightest young talents in Irish football, but her rise hasn’t been straightforward.
An ACL injury in October 2022 robbed her of a potential World Cup dream, while her first foray into professional football lasted just four months at Sheffield United.
The transition was a difficult one and her love of the game waned, while “family reasons” contributed to her decision to return home in January. Molloy’s grandmother, Breda Roche, died in October, having been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer shortly before her move to Sheffield in September.
The loss of her “number one supporter” was devastating, as she told The Irish Times last month, and she knew she needed to be surrounded by family and friends at home, and long-time club Wexford, as she rediscovered her love for football and lust for life.
“I think when I came back from the injury, I was maybe forcing trying to make up time, when probably what I should have put first was getting back consistently playing well and feeling like I was back to myself,” Molloy says.
“I don’t regret going over and I can’t fault Sheffield at all, it was a great club, the support they gave me was unbelievable. It was just more so the timing of everything, it just didn’t feel right for me.
“It was probably a bold move to come home and maybe an unpopular move to some people, but looking back, I think it was the right move at the time.
“I kind of just stripped it all back, took the pressure off and went back to my roots. In the last few months I’ve started to really enjoy football again and I think you can see that in the way I’ve been playing.”
The Thomastown natove is back lighting up the Women’s Premier Division after a steep learning experience, personally and professionally.
She’s thriving in home comforts, planning to resume her PE and Geography Teaching studies in University of Limerick in September, having deferred the four-year course after one when she moved to Sheffield. She has been teaching in recent months, enjoying balancing work and studies with football again and keeping busy, as opposed to having a one-track mind.
It seems to work best for her, but Molloy isn’t opposed to giving professional football another shot.
“I wouldn’t rule out going away again. I don’t know when… I think I’ve learned a lot from my experience and whenever the time feels right, I wouldn’t rule it out. But I’m just focusing on the next few weeks and I don’t want to look too far ahead right now.
“I got a taster of what professional football is like and there’s a lot more to it than just playing football every day. It’s the time that you’re not playing football that you have to fill. It is probably something not spoken about enough and there probably should be more awareness around that side of it. I would know what to expect if an opportunity did come up again.
“I probably struggle with too many options, I don’t know what the right way to go is. It’s just trying to get the balance and just really figure out what the right move is for me.
“I don’t really have a long-term plan at the moment. I’m just enjoying my football right now.”
Ireland’s two-game tour of the US this week will offer a feel for full-time football once more, which Molloy is relishing as she makes a conscious effort to “bridge the gap” with two team training sessions and a game per week with Wexford.
“The league is definitely growing. You can see it’s a lot more competitive. Obviously there is no question there is a difference in the standard between the league here, we’re a few years behind, but it definitely is going in the right direction.”
As GAA takes hold through the summer, Molloy laughs that her family is “probably the only one in Kilkenny that doesn’t play hurling or camogie,” but she enjoys watching it.
Another local is also making waves in the football world, Colm Whelan of Bohemians, and the pair often crossed paths during their ACL recoveries.
“I’d know Collie quite well around Thomastown. It’s not a big town. He did a bit of rehab at David Roche’s in Kilkenny and I would have done a bit of rehab there too. We would have been in touch a bit.
“It’s great to see him back and doing so well at Bohs. We both never really forget our roots. Thomastown have been great to me and still are. I’m delighted for him.”
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