LEANNE KIERNAN HAS a whiteboard in her bedroom, on which she scribbles down her goals.
Once she reaches one, she’ll wipe it out and write down another.
“I like to keep them quite realistic, obviously a few ones that are kind of dreams too that I want to get to,” the Republic of Ireland and Liverpool star explains.
One of such is getting back into the national team.
It’s been a stop-start few years in the green jersey for the 22-year-old; from breaking in as a teenager under Sue Ronan and establishing herself as a regular under Colin Bell, to injury setbacks limiting her involvement through Vera Pauw’s reign thus far.
Kiernan watched from the bench as the Girls In Green opened their Pinatar Cup bid with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Poland on Wednesday, despite plenty of calls for her inclusion amidst a sparkling run of club form.
Liverpool’s number nine has scored 12 goals in 15 Championship games so far this season, playing a central role as the Reds sit in a comfortable 10-point lead atop the table. Her tally also leaves her top goal-scorer in the division.
The Cavan native would have every right to be disappointed not to have featured against the Poles, but opts for the diplomatic response when asked. “Listen, I’m just going to keep my head down and work hard and wait for my opportunity to come.”
Patience, most certainly, is a virtue.
Kiernan’s chance could indeed arrive in tomorrow’s semi-final against Russia [KO 7.30pm Irish time], with squad rotation guaranteed and a whole new starting XI likely as preparations ramp up for April’s all-important World Cup qualifier against Sweden.
“I’ve been really enjoying football lately so hopefully I can bring that confidence into Ireland. I’m a very proud Irishwoman and it’s a massive achievement to play for your country so I hope that will come in time.
“It’s obviously nice that I’ve been scoring goals [for Liverpool] and my family has been over watching me, which is really nice too. My next step is to get into the national team and do the same. I can only wait for my opportunity to come and hopefully take it.
“I’ve learnt over the years that football is, of course, about ability but my main point is how mentally strong are you, to keep going and keep going, and take your shot. When you get it, take it. I’m always working hard when coming into camp.”
Thank you Reds ♥️ https://t.co/7nl3YngVt3
— Leanne Kiernan (@kiernan_leanne) February 14, 2022
An explosive striker, though just as comfortable on the wing, Kiernan has gained a new lease of life since dropping to the English second-tier from West Ham.
It’s fair to say the former Shelbourne teen sensation’s career was at a crossroads before making the move — injuries having hampered her final months at the Hammers — so linking up with former boss Matt Beard on Merseyside has been huge.
“It’s quite hard when you’re not consistently in the team, and you’re out with niggles, I always had a fair idea if I could keep on the pitch and keep my consistency, I could do alright,” she notes.
“I really have to thank Beardy. I think he had just signed his contract in Liverpool and he rang me and said ‘Listen I want you on my team,’ which is always nice. I want to give him a lot of thanks.”
The club, in general, too, where she’s joined by Ireland’s newest centurion Niamh Fahey, and the returning Megan Campbell.
“It’s great, we’ve a good few Irish around now,” Kiernan smiles. “It’s quite nice, it feels like home across the water.
“Niamh is one of the reasons why I was attracted to the club, she deserves her 100 caps that she’s got. It’s a really good vibe, really good people around me, it’s all the good conditions to grow as a player. I’d like to hope there is a bit more in me now.
“We know our goal is promotion, number one. Liverpool as a club, we know it should be in the top league. I guess I was brought in to help them go up. So that’s our end goal. We all know what we need to do to get there. We’ve an FA Cup game coming up against Arsenal, that will be a massive test for us, we’re doing well so far. We’ve nothing to lose, we’re going in with confidence.”
Likewise, with Ireland. A big few weeks lie ahead for Leanne Kiernan, with club and with country.
