'There are still levels we want her to push towards' - Gleeson on Saoirse Noonan omission

EILEEN GLEESON HAS moved to address Saoirse Noonan’s absence from recent Ireland squads despite her impressive form for Celtic.

Noonan has scored 14 goals this season and has played regularly in the Champions League, but Gleeson says “there are still levels we want her to push towards”.

The Cork striker is on the standby list for the upcoming Euro 2025 play-off against Wales, with Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Amber Barrett (Standard Liége) and Julie-Ann Russell (Galway United) selected ahead of her on this occasion. Crystal Palace’s Abbie Larkin is also listed as a forward.

Noonan hasn’t been called up by Gleeson in 2024 to date. She was last involved in the squad in December 2023 and hasn’t played since the World Cup warm-up game against Zambia last June.

“It’s a selection process, so it does show the depth of the squad,” the Irish head coach said ahead of the double-header against Wales on 29 November and 3 December.

“The forward line has changed as well, we have Kyra, we have Julie-Ann, we have Leanne, they have been playing really well, we have Amber involved.

“Saoirse is on the standby list, she has gone to Glasgow Celtic, she is getting minutes there and scoring some goals but there are still levels we want her to push towards as well. But she is involved in the conversation. It is reflective of the depth that the squad is developing as well.”

Gleeson insisted she is “not concerned” by the lack of Irish goalscorers at a high club level — defender Anna Patten is the only player to have netted in England’s WSL this season — and is “happy with the threats, combinations, characteristics and skills” in her squad.

She assured Ireland will be practicing penalties next week, with potential for a second-leg shootout to decide historic Euros qualification, and hailed “game-winner” goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan as “phenomenal”.

Gleeson watching training with Tara O'Hanlon last month. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Gleeson also spoke about another absentee from the squad, Tara O’Hanlon. The Manchester City youngster was in and around camp last month against Georgia as she continues on the comeback trail from two significant hamstring injuries.

While injured players are generally listed in the squad announcement press release, O’Hanlon wasn’t mentioned yesterday. Gleeson explained her status to The 42:

“Tara has really high young potential for us and unfortunately, she’s been out injured since she went to Man City. We did have her in for familiarisation with the hope that she might make this camp in some capacity but it wasn’t to be.

“She’s still on a return-to-training programme so she’s close to getting back into the full-team training. Obviously, she needs to be in that before she’d come in. We have a lot of hope for Tara but she obviously, needs to get in and play, she needs to train, she needs to be getting game-time but she’s a bright young potential [player].”

Meanwhile, Gleeson said voting in next Friday’s General Election hadn’t been discussed, with the squad on duty in Cardiff. An FAI spokesperson suggested the Association would look into it, but the deadline for postal votes was Sunday, 10 November.