THERE IS REALLY only one place to start with Jamie Finn, even if the setting lends a somewhat comedic element to proceedings.
As the Republic of Ireland international begins to open up about her shock omission from the World Cup squad, and the effect it had on her confidence, hotel staff are busy at work clearing up the function room from the wedding party the night before.
The squad are based in west Dublin and Finn is one of four players doing the rounds with the media this week.
“I was heartbroken, a really difficult situation to be in to be honest,” she says.
The sound of what seemed like all of the cutlery from the bride and groom’s top table falling on the floor broke her flow somewhat.
Finn played in six of the qualifying games and started that famous night in Glasgow when a place in Australia was secured with a play-off victory over Scotland.
The versatile Birmingham City player, who played every game for her club in England’s second tier and was rewarded with a new contract on the back of her form, was still chosen as one of the three training players to travel Down Under in case injury opened up a spot.
She was there for team meetings, trained every day and was even in the dressing room on match days.
Given her standing in the squad and importance in breaking the glass ceiling to qualify, some 25 friends and family had already booked to make the journey to the other side of the world.
Then Finn’s was turned upside down.
“It’s a concept that I still can’t… Yeah, it was difficult. I had to be there, well I didn’t have to be there but I wanted to be there for the team. Yeah, that’s what I said I would do and I did,” Finn explains.
“I think it was more sadness [than anger] for me because anyone that knows me knows how proud I am to be Irish. Like wearing the green jersey in any game for me is such a proud moment for me and my family.
“No one really tells you how to feel in those situations. It’s so difficult but I always knew I was going to go. Because as I said it’s about representing Ireland and that for me, that pride for my country, I always… this was a way I was going to do that, if you know what I mean.
“As I reflect back on it, even my season with Birmingham, I always reflect and say, ‘could I have done something better?’ But not even off the pitch, it was so tunnel vision towards the World Cup and this is what I have to do to make the World Cup and I can say I ticked every box to do that.
“Even when I came into camp, everyone knows me, I’ll give 100 per cent, play any position the manager wants to put me in. Yeah, it was a shock.”
Crash, bang, wallop.
Some of the tables being folded together and wheeled out of the far door by the movers batter against the sides. Any minute now Del Boy and Rodney will be along with Grandad to have a look at the chandelier.
In the summer, former Ireland boss Vera Pauw said leaving Finn out “has been the hardest decision” of all, reasoning that “you have seen we have changed tactically our playing system, with Kyra Carusa as a target player and Heather Payne as a pace option on the wing.”
That emphasis on a new style didn’t really tally when Ireland actually took on Australia, Canada and Nigeria in their group games.
“Football is a game of opinions,” Finn reasons.
“I’m a very versatile player so to kind of say that to you, yeah it,” she trails off, before it’s put to her that Pauw’s assessment of her credentials doesn’t make sense.
“No,” she replies.
“My experience was totally different to everyone that was there [at the World Cup] and I’m probably still processing the whole situation and it will take a long time to get over it. But I think for me it was about looking forward and what can I do now to get back to where I was and get back into Birmingham and start playing again and get back into an Ireland jersey, because ultimately the main goal for me is to play for my club and represent Ireland.
“I think I just have to process what happened; not really why it happened because you might never get an answer to why things like that happen to you in life. I think it’s just about moving forward and trying to look forward and getting back on the pitch. That was what really I wanted to do. I wanted to get back training, back into Birmingham and hopefully back into this team.”
The upcoming double header with Albania in this Nations League campaign, and the possibility to reach the European Championships in 2025, is now at the forefront of her mind.
“In a way I did experience the World Cup and for me, looking into the future, I would want to be at a World Cup again, representing Ireland. If I can bring any experiences from what I experienced at the World Cup into the next one or the Euros, that’s a positive I can take. I went, I experienced it and can I bring those little experiences into the next campaign?
“It’s massive [motivation] now. It was massive before, but now it’s even more. As I said, nothing beats playing for Ireland and wearing the green jersey.
“It was like a bit of a relief to get back on the pitch and wear the jersey. But I think now I just need to push on and hopefully there’s more to come.”
