Ireland's World Cup squad - where will they all be playing?
IRELANDS WORLD CUP SQUAD: Where are women's World Cup squad will play their club football this season. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Long-term contracts in the women’s game remain scarce, evidenced by a portion of Ireland’s squad heading to the recent World Cup with uncertainty hanging over their futures.
Four of the 23 were officially free agents but several others had unattached status, awaiting offers from their existing clubs or weighing up approaches from alternative suitors.
Friday’s news that Heather Payne has completed her move to English Women’s Super League outfit Everton ensures that all players are now currently under contract.
Abbie Larkin is the one left to watch in terms of movement. WSL clubs have ‘til September 14 to finalise recruits in the window and the Irish teen has attracted interest, spending a couple of days on trial at newly-promoted Bristol City.
Here we list the 23 players in squad numerical order who travelled to Australia and where they’ll be playing for the rest of 2023 and into next year.
World Cup commitments pushed out the start dates, with the Championship kicking off on Saturday but the WSL campaign another five weeks away on October 1.
Position: Goalkeeper.
Age: 27.
Current club: Everton.
Ireland’s ever-present during over the three games Down Under, who produced a wondersave against Nigeria to help the team accrue their sole points, will remain at Goodison Park after the Toffees activated a 12-month extension in her deal.
Position: Defender.
Age: 28.
Current club: Standard Liege, Belgium.
After bowing out of Celtic on a high by scoring in their Scottish Cup victory, the defender was snapped up by Belgian Cup holders Standard Liege.
Position: Left-sided defender.
Age: 28.
Current club: Bristol City.
Like O’Riordan, didn’t see a minute of action at the World Cup but had already earned a two-year extension on her contract. The defender featured 14 times as the Robins clinched promotion to the WSL by winning the Championship.
Position: Centre-back.
Age: 33.
Current club: Birmingham City.
The Blues skipper, like most of her compatriots at the club, has the comfort of a contract running ‘til 2025.
Position: Centre-back.
Age: 35.
Current club: Liverpool.
The mammy of the Ireland squad is Liverpool captain and in the same June week Ireland assembled was granted a 12-month extension to the five years she’d already spent at the Reds.
Position: Defence/midfield.
Age: 26.
Current club: Bristol City.
Brighton’s loss was the gain of Bristol, who snapped up the Cork native this week for their top-flight debut campaign. There was no danger of her staying unattached for long.
We've signed Megan Connolly! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EPAIlv5U6E
— Bristol City Women (@bristolcitywfc) August 24, 2023
Position: Centre-back.
Age: 34.
Another veteran of the panel is no stranger to fresh challenges and she recently signed a two-year contract with Switzerland champions FC Zurich Frauen.
Position: Central midfield.
Age: 33.
Current club: London City Lionesses.
Joked in Australia about closing up her tent again but there’s at least two years left in her teak-tough legs, based on the contract she’s just penned for Championship outfit London City Lionesses.
We have a confession to make.
— London City Lionesses (@LC_Lionesses) August 23, 2023
It's @RueshaLJ.
It's always been RLJ.
📸 Wing Chong pic.twitter.com/7Wp3eV4yPB
Position: Striker.
Age: 27.
Current club: Standard Liege.
The Hampden hero was publicly unhappy with her paucity of gametime but had the solace of a venture in Belgium looming. A change of scene after four years in Germany.
Position: Midfielder.
Age: 29.
Current club: North Carolina Courage.
No worries on the employment security front for the Knocknaheeny maestro, as 12 months ago the American club she skippers tied her down on fresh terms until at least 2024.
Position: Left wing-back/midfield.
Age: 27.
Current club: Arsenal.
Similar to O’Sullivan, McCabe is majorly in demand. Arsenal want her to prolong her stay but Chelsea are hawking as the current deal enters it’s final season.
Position: Central midfield.
Age: 29.
Current club: Birmingham City.
Had left her home city of London for pastures new, heading up to M6 to join the Irish legion at Birmingham City. Contract runs for the season, with the club holding a 12-month extension option.
Position: Wing-back/attacker.
Age: 34.
Current club: Shamrock Rovers.
The highest caps holder in the squad is content where she is, using the time afforded from her second retirement to complement her game-time as Rovers captain with dipping her toe into the coaching sphere.
The greatest honour 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/TTbqGUVjqF
— Áine O' Gorman (@Aineogor9) August 24, 2023
Position: Wing-back/attacker.
Age: 23.
Current club: Everton.
Had her pick of clubs once her collegiate phase ended in Florida and Everton, managed and populated by Swedes, seems an ideal destination over her two-year contract.
Welcome to Everton, @_payneheather! 🇮🇪🔵 pic.twitter.com/iw56fgfcCC
— Everton Women (@EvertonWomen) August 25, 2023
Position: Attacker.
Age: 29.
Current club: Birmingham City.
An integral part of the Irish colony at St Andrew’s, she’s a contract guaranteed ‘til 2025.
Position: Goalkeeper.
Age: 30.
Current club: London City Lionesses.
Her affinity with Reading was undeniable but their relegation prompted a switch and she’s not needed to move far, signing a two-year deal.
Position: Midfielder.
Age: 33.
Current club: NY/NJ Gotham.
Everything in the recently-declared midfielder’s career moves gradually for genuine reasons given her turmoil but the US club are entitled to activate another 12 months on her deal before the season ends.
Position: Striker.
Age: 27.
Current club: San Diego Wave.
Ireland’s first-choice striker at the finals has made her homecoming, switching from London to a NSWL side managed by Casey Stoney. Deal runs for the remainder of the season.
Position: Striker.
Age: 18.
Current club: Shamrock Rovers.
This is the first window in which the Ireland’s youngest-ever World Cup participant can move to the UK and the process is underway by undertaking a few trials.
Position: Winger/attacker.
Age: 26.
Current club: Washington Spirit.
Went to the World Cup armed with a contract for the year but no word of it being renewed for 2024.
Position: Midfielder.
Age: 30.
Current club: Hearts.
The third and final unused outfield player in Oz has made Scotland her home in recent years and Hearts invoked a year-long option before she assembled for the trip.
Position: Wing-back.
Age: 21.
Current club: West Ham United.
Into her second season with the Hammers, following 15 months at Celtic, and she’s tipped to keep soaring.
Position: Goalkeeper.
Age: 28.
Current club: West Ham United.
Another casualty of the Brighton cull, she was soon snapped up by the Hammers. Will act as back-up to Australian No 1 Mackenzie Arnold.
Jamie Finn, controversially demoted to the standby list for the tournament, has two more seasons on her deal at Birmingham City while Jess Ziu, who missed out through injury, is still on the road to recovery.
She has been joined at West Ham United by ex-Shelbourne teammate Jessie Stapleton on a long-term deal. Peamount will struggle to keep Kate Mooney amid interest and her clubmate Tara O’Hanlon is subject of admirers cross-channel. Though her recent trial at Manchester United is unlikely to lead to an immediate offer, the left-sided players will have other clubs wanting her onboard, if not in this window, then during January.
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