JULIE-ANN RUSSELL HOLDS her 16-month-old daughter, Rosie, for the full round of post-match interviews.
Ireland’s comeback queen has just produced another Player of the Match performance, scoring her third goal in four games to help Eileen Gleeson’s side take another step towards Euro 2025.
After despatching Georgia 9-0 on aggregate, the Girls In Green now face Wales in a two-legged play-off final on 29 November in Cardiff and 3 December at the Aviva Stadium.
Two games away from a first-ever European Championships.
Little did Russell think she would be part of it all a few short months back.
“No, absolutely not,” the Galway United star tells The 42.
“It’s just been a total whirlwind, it would be an absolute dream to qualify. I will just keep going and keep trying and hopefully we will do it in the next two games.”
Last summer, she watched Katie McCabe and co. on television at the World Cup.
The 33-year-old could be front and centre in Switzerland next year, should Ireland overcome Wales.
“I vividly remember watching the first game against Australia,” Russell recalls.
“Rosie was about two weeks old. I was watching on the couch. So emotional watching the girls, so happy for them.
“I know the hard work and grit and determination they put in and some of them were my best friends that were playing. I was so proud and never in my life did I think I’d be back playing [for Ireland] again. It’s phenomenal and it’d be my dream to qualify for the Euros.”
Russell opened the scoring in the third minute of Ireland’s 3-0 win over Georgia this evening, with Kyra Carusa and Katie McCabe later joining her on the sheet. It was another comfortable victory, but somewhat of a non-event at Tallaght Stadium.
“Absolutely delighted to get the first one,” she reflects. “It settled us. Obviously in Georgia it took a while to get the first goal. I think we could have got a few more goals in the first half to be honest, myself included.
“But look, we’ll learn from it and hopefully take our chances against Wales. There’s a lot of room for improvement. It was difficult to play against such a defensive, deep side. They were really, really deep but Wales will obviously be a totally different game than Georgia. I’ve full faith in Eileen and the staff and the tactics they’ll put out.”
With most of her professional team-mates still in the thick of their respective seasons, Russell must now bridge the gap on her own as she targets the decisive double-header.
“I will train with the boys team at my local club, Salthill Devon, to stay fit and sharp for the next couple of weeks, it’s so important — training with boys who are fitter and faster and stronger than girls genetically.
“I am looking forward to staying sharp coming into the next game. I’ll do a bit of CrossFit in Moycullen and a bit of running, I can’t sit still.”
Neither can Baby Rosie, who is put down for a wander as the interview winds down.
Like mother, like daughter. What a story.
Duff has gone from being an Irish footballing hero to someone you’d cross the street from, just in case he’d start a conversation with ya
Duff seems to be a really miserable guy with these comments.
@James Murphy: He talks shit
@orb7eckn: . Nah. He’s dead right. What they have worked so hard to achieve is within their grasp. Everything they do between now and Monday is done with the biggest game in the recent history of the club in mind. They are looking for the biggest performance of their lives on Monday and he’s driving them towards that. What he has achieved at Shelbourne is top class and it could be about to get better.
Just trying to garner some headlines and …… get some personal coverage. The best manager is the one that just gets on with the job!
He’s seriously tiresome now. Bore off Duffer
Duffer you are truly losing the run of yourself son…your not Jose and even he wouldn’t come out with that tripe..
You wonder what motivates him or why he’s like this; his comments about the FAI staff (note: not the Board, not the Management team but junior and administrative employees) last month were wide of the mark, insensitive, misinformed and wildly inappropriate. An unlikeable individual.
@John Coffey: he apologised unreservedly for those comments
@SYaxJ2Ts: Why apologise if he said what HE believes! It just proves my belief
“put your brain in gear before moving your mouth”
@John Coffey: i hear you john ….i wonder are all obsessive winners overbearing in their will to succeed… lots of successful managers in football have a cold mean streak at times….he’s definitely not the happy go lucky relaxed young fella at chelsea 20 years ago
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: except he doesn’t believe what he said about all the staff….we all occasionally say stuff that we don’t truly believe, and then regret it
Is he for real…what a miserable human being…