Vera Pauw: 'We were waiting for a player like Sinead Farrelly' 

The American-born 33-year-old made a rapid-fire debut at Q2 Stadium against the USA

IMPACT PLAYER: Sinead Farrelly with Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw during the friendly game against the USA at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Vera Pauw hailed the international debut of Sinead Farrelly as a potential game changer for her World Cup-bound team after the midfielder made an impressive debut in Saturday’s 2-0 friendly defeat to the US.

The American-born 33-year-old has been out of the game for almost eight years after coming forward as a whistleblower into abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League but, having joined up with Pauw’s squad for training this week, made a rapid-fire debut at Q2 Stadium.