Carla Ward: 'Colin Healy will be considered if Amber Whiteley takes Liverpool job'
Colin Healy during a Republic of Ireland Women's training session in May 2024. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Colin Healy could be offered a return to the Ireland backroom staff by Carla Ward if Amber Whiteley is upgraded to Liverpool’s permanent manager.
Fractures linger over the Corkman’s exit from the women’s management, with Healy accusing the chief football officer of breaking a promise to extend his contract beyond the Euro campaign that ended in December with playoff defeat to Wales.
There’s been confusion since too about whether Eileen Gleeson’s successor Ward could consider reengaging Healy amid an outpouring of support from senior players such as Denise O’Sullivan.
Although she said last month that option wasn’t available to her, Canham this week seemed to contradict that by declaring no restrictions were imposed.
Ward initially brought another former Ireland midfielder, Alan Mahon, in as No 2 but Healy was again overlooked when finances allowed another assistant to be recruited.
That was in part, she admits, due to the controversy which erupted when Healy released a statement airing his grievances with the FAI on the day she was unveiled.
Ward subsequently appointed Whiteley in time for the opening Nations League games last month but she’s been promoted to stand-in boss from assistant at Liverpool in succession to Matt Beard.
Should, as Ward feels is warranted, Whiteley’s status be changed to full-time Reds chief, then double-jobbing with international commitments is off the table.
It would create a vacancy for the manager to fill and she’s very much got Healy in mind, albeit the position is currently part-time.
Whether he would be amenable to working again for the FAI — the organisation he’s lodged complaints against with their HR director and President — remains to be seen.
“If Amber gets the Liverpool job and Colin makes himself available, of course he would be considered,” Ward said when the matter resurfaced again at her squad announcement for the double-header against Greece.
“He’s really well respected among the players and staff. I don’t know Colin, I’ve not spoken to him but he seems a great guy. Would we have a conversation? 100 percent. It would be natural to.
“The day I first spoke to the media, there was that big kerfuffle, or call it what you want.
“And it took me aback a bit because I didn’t know the ins and outs of the situation.
“I wasn’t going to pick up the phone when all of that was going on. That would be completely inhuman.”
Ward expects Whiteley to be offered the permanent job after winning her first three games as a standalone boss.
“She’s flying. I said to her I was delighted but then I was like ‘How does this look for us?’ She wants the job, do I hope she gets the job?
“I think she’s fully deserving of it, she’s an exceptional coach and a really good human being. There’s every chance she’ll get it.
“I didn’t think she’d be able to come to this camp but wants to be here and Liverpool are allowing it. I’m sure by the June camp we should know whether she’s got the job or not.”
The primary purpose of this Uefa Nations League campaign, plus friendlies against World No 1 seed USA in June, is preparation for next year’s World Cup qualifiers.
Straight after last month’s 4-0 hammering in Slovenia, the new manager made it known she felt reality was setting in after a World Cup qualification in 2023 she felt was an overachievement.
Despite denying that assertion during her recent Late Late Show appearance, the former Aston Villa and Birmingham City was happy to set the record straight.
“Some people might look at that word as a negative but I see it as positive,” she explained.
“I have overachieved my whole managerial career at Sheffield United, Birmingham City and Villa and I think we as a group can overachieve.
“Look at the World Cup coming up, there are 11 European spots and we are world number 26.
“I could sit here and be a puppet or I could just be me and just answer your questions. We are going to overachieve here because I feel we are going to get to the World Cup.”
There was one staff alteration confirmed, with Brazilian Ivi Casagrande stepping down as fitness coach, to be replaced in this window by Holly Pickett.
She most recently worked with San Diego Wave and previously with Ward at both Villa and Birmingham City.
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