SHELBOURNE’S 16-YEAR-OLD SENSATION Jessie Stapleton has won the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League [WNL] Player of the Month award for October.
Stapleton has been outstanding for the Reds in her debut season in the Irish top-flight, used in defence and midfield through their WNL title challenge and march to the FAI Cup final.
The Dublin teenager has enjoyed a consistent individual campaign, chipping in with five goals along the way. Last month, she scored twice in Shels’ four wins; most recently in last Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Galway at Tolka Park.
Stapleton, a star for the Ireland U19s, was selected for the award ahead of team-mate Noelle Murray and Wexford Youths captain Kylie Murphy, who finished second and third respectively in the voting.
“I’m delighted to win the SSE Airtricity Player of the Month Award,” she said. “Obviously the other girls who are nominated are class, especially the likes of Noelle Murray who is playing a stormer this season, never mind just October.
“Coming in as such a young player — I’m still only 16, I’m not 17 until February — I wasn’t coming in expecting to play 90 minutes all season.
“With the new manager (Noel King) and his new ways, there were no promises to players. I just broke into the team and I’ve kept my place so I’m delighted with that.”
Stapleton rose to real prominence in 2018, when she was called in to train with Colin Bell’s Ireland senior squad at the age of just 13.
No stranger to breaking barriers at that point, on the books of Cherry Orchard FC, she’s gone from strength to strength since, joining Shelbourne from Shamrock Rovers U17s earlier this year. An understandably, she’s very much on Vera Pauw’s radar.
“This season has been very good,” Stapleton said. “I’ve loved every single minute of it.
“I think we were very unlucky at times, we had a very good chance of winning the league this year but we had a slip up against Peamount but we have the Cup final to look forward to and we hope to get a trophy there.”
With Peas likely to wrap up the title and make it three in-a-row this weekend, Shels’ main focus is on facing Wexford in the FAI Cup final on Sunday, 21 November, at Tallaght Stadium.
They finish their league season with clashes against Bohemians and Youths – a cup final dress rehearsal – over the next two weekends.
2021 SSE Women’s National League Player of the Month winners
March / April: Rachel Kearns (Galway WFC)
May: Eleanor Ryan-Doyle (Peamount United, since moved to Birmingham City)
June / July: Kylie Murphy (Wexford Youths)
August: Savannah McCarthy (Galway WFC)
September: Karen Duggan (Peamount United)
October: Jessie Stapleton (Shelbourne)
