John Fallon: Influx of recruits puts the squeeze on emerging women's talent

First knockback to FAI's summer football alignment move and Uefa's Taoiseach audience a Europa dividend.

Head coach Eileen Gleeson during a Republic of Ireland Women's training session at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

THIS FRIDAY sees Irish women's football return to centrestage but the changing composition of the team ought to sound an alarm for another side being established.

Eileen Gleeson struck a chord recently when speaking about the importance of adding an U23 team to the FAI roster, counteracting the "cliff-edge" effect U19 talent fall into.