LAST UPDATE | 13 Sep 2023
COLIN HEALY AND EMMA Byrne have been named on Eileen Gleeson’s Republic of Ireland women’s interim coaching staff for the upcoming Uefa Nations League games.
Former Cork City manager Healy and Ireland great Byrne will act as assistant coaches, with Richie Fitzgibbon joining the fold as goalkeeping coach for clashes against Northern Ireland and Hungary later this month.
Healy represented Ireland 13 times as a player, and previously worked as Men’s U19 assistant coach as well as leading City to promotion to the League of Ireland Premier Division in 2022.
Former WNT captain Byrne is the country’s most capped women’s player with 134 appearances, while the legendary goalkeeper enjoyed a glittering club career at Arsenal.
FAI High Performance National Coach Educator Fitzgibbon holds a Uefa A Goalkeeping Licence and has worked with several underage international teams. He’ll now put Courtney Brosnan and co. through their paces.
The staff will link up with the squad on Monday, 18 September to begin preparations for the historic Aviva Stadium opener against Northern Ireland (Saturday 23 September) and trip to Budapest (Tuesday 26 September). Gleeson is expected to name her squad in the coming days.
Niamh Fahey has emerged as an injury concern. The Liverpool captain was withdrawn in the 36th minute of a 3-1 pre-season defeat to Manchester United at Carrington this afternoon.
“Unfortunately for Niamh it’s the same calf problem she had before the World Cup,” Reds manager Matt Beard said afterwards. “She will have a scan on Friday so we will know the extent of it then, but Niamh felt it pull so that’s not a good sign.”
Fahey, 35, missed the latter end of the 2022/23 season with a calf injury but returned to star for Ireland at the World Cup. After the tournament, the experienced defender said she was yet to decide on her international future. “I haven’t made up my mind. But if I go out now, I don’t think there is a better way to go out,” she told reporters.
While Áine O’Gorman announced her international retirement and Harriet Scott stepped away from football to focus on her medical career, there has been no further indication of the end of the road for Fahey.
Her Liverpool team-mate Leanne Kiernan is currently out injured. “Leanne had an injection the week before last and she is back running,” Beard added today. “She still has got a little bit of pain but is progressing.”
FAI CEO Jonathan Hill and Director of Football Marc Canham are due to speak to the media tomorrow about the decision not to renew Vera Pauw’s contract.
- Updated 5.13pm with injury update from Liverpool manager Matt Beard.
