TYLER TOLAND WON’T dwell on the past, but it’s something that will follow her.
In an Ireland jersey, anyway.
Every time she is interviewed, it will come up. She will be offered the opportunity to open up time and time again, but the Donegal midfielder won’t say a whole pile.
Toland was exiled by Vera Pauw, and spent four years in the international wilderness after a public over-and-back. After Pauw’s departure, the 22-year-old was immediately recalled by Eileen Gleeson, and has featured prominently through the new era.
“It’s great,” the Blackburn Rovers star tells The 42.
“Obviously, everyone wants to play for their country, don’t they, so it’s a dream come true to come back in. I’m just looking to kick on and see what we can achieve.
“Thankfully, everything is in the past now. I think I have been in four camps and I am just looking to push on and looking to the future.
“The past is in the past.”
A recent MCL injury which saw Toland miss the friendlies against Italy and France was frustrating, but it was minor compared to her past struggles.
She is back to full fitness now, with five 90-minute performances under her belt in the last four weeks, and ready to face France and England in the so-called Euro 2025 Group of Death.
She was “buzzing” when the draw was made, and that excitement remains ahead of Friday’s opener against France in Metz.
“Obviously, they are three of the best teams in the world and that is who we want to play against, we want to play the best in the world. That is what we want to be ourselves.
“It is a good test and it can only do us good. As a team, we want to put on a performance for everyone and just be really hard to beat. Like we are known for, and once we cross that white line, we will give everything we can.”
Toland may have missed the World Cup and other recent games against top opposition, but was a part of one of the biggest results in Ireland’s recent history: the 0-0 draw in Holland, when she was just 16 years old.
“It is probably going to be something similar,” she says.
In terms of club football, Toland is impressing at Championship outfit Blackburn.
She is making an impact week on week, producing two assists in a 4-1 win against Reading on Sunday, having previously endured no shortage of inconsistency.
Toland signed for Manchester City just after her 18th birthday, but had to go to Scotland (Glasgow City and Celtic) and Spain (Levante) in attempts to reinvigorate her career.
Blackburn has proved a happy haven on her return to English football. Toland will play there again next season as they aim for promotion to the Women’s Super League.
“For me, this year was just about getting consistent game-time and to be fair, that is exactly what I have got so far,” she concludes.
“Blackburn has been a great move for me. Obviously we are sitting mid-table, and the club is really looking to push on and are ambitious.
“One of my personal ambitions was to get myself back in the Ireland fold and I am sitting here today, so obviously that has happened. Playing week in, week out, is what I needed and that is what allows me to come into camp like here today.
“It has been really good for me, it’s a great club, and they have done nothing but support me. I am just really happy and content at the minute and just really enjoying my football.”
