Izzy Atkinson: Nothing-to-lose attitude got me into squad

The West Ham United woman grabbed the opportunity with both hands, impressing in both directions from a berth at wing-back against Zambia in Tallaght

AIMING HIGH: Republic of Ireland's Izzy Atkinson with Sophia Maher during a visit from Republic of Ireland women's team players to the Hartstown Huntstown FC INTERSPORT Elverys FAI Football Camp in Dublin. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

If the focus last week was on the players who fell the wrong side of the cut for Vera Pauw’s World Cup squad then the camera is, inevitably, shifting back to those who will take the Republic of Ireland forward to Australia.

Nobody covered more ground in the race for a place in the 23 than Izzy Atkinson, the 21-year old from Rush in north county Dublin who hadn’t even been named in the enlarged panel that got tournament preparations underway.