IRELAND ASSISTANT COACH and Liverpool interim manager Amber Whitely will miss Ireland’s double-header against Greece due to a passport issue, while Heather Payne has emerged as an injury doubt.
Payne rolled her ankle in Everton’s 2-0 WSL defeat to Manchester United on Saturday, and didn’t train at FAI HQ Abbotstown this morning before the Girls In Green flew to Greece.
The 52-cap star travelled with the squad, but assistant head coach Alan Mahon admits she’s unlikely to be available for for Friday’s Nations League game in Crete. Payne appears to be in a fitness race for Tuesday’s return tie at Tallaght Stadium, more so.
“It’s down to the medics and that,” said Mahon. “I think it was more the timing, the quick turnaround and maybe it’s best that she just stays out of this just so there’s no long-term stuff.
“I think that was more the inkling. Whether she’s available for the second game, that’s down to the medics and how she reacts over the next couple of days really.”
Whiteley, meanwhile, is double-jobbing in Carla Ward’s set-up, having been appointed Liverpool caretaker boss in the wake of Matt Beard’s departure in February.
Whiteley was due in Ireland camp for the first fixture against Greece, but is absent due to a passport issue. FAI Head of Women and Girls’ Football Hannah Dingley has stepped in in a coaching capacity for the double-header.
Whiteley has repeatedly stated that she wants the permanent Liverpool job, and should that transpire, Ward last week said that Colin Healy would be considered for a dramatic return.
Advertisement
Mahon would also welcome Healy — Eileen Gleeson’s assistant head coach, who is in dispute with the FAI following his departure — into the fold.
“Not a problem,” said Mahon. “Not a problem at all. I’ve heard good things about Colin. I’ve never met him myself, I know of him, but there wouldn’t be an issue on my side or Carla’s side, to be honest.”
Alan Mahon speaking at a press conference this afternoon. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland are looking to bounce back against Greece in League B of the Nations League after a 4-0 drubbing to Slovenia followed their 1-0 opening win over Türkiye.
Tactical decisions and experimentation backfired in Koper as a sub-par, but higher-ranked, Ireland were punished in their second fixture of this new management regime.
“The Slovenia game, let’s be honest, it wasn’t great for us,” Mahon reflected.
“We all know that, we’re in the game of football. It didn’t look great for us, it didn’t feel great after the game. But the beauty of football is you always go again and we’ll look at new things for this camp. I think we just tried a couple of things in that camp and that was it really, the result didn’t go our way.
“Obviously in hindsight, it’s ifs, buts and coconuts isn’t it? You do things at the time because you think that’s the plan. There are a couple of things that we could probably have changed, done a bit different, but I still back what we decided at the time because we felt it was right. Football is football, it is what it is.”
After honest reviews with players and staff, Ireland are “not trying to make too many massive changes to reinvent the wheel” as they target two wins against Greece.
Deploying Katie McCabe as a 10 was largely unsuccessful in Slovenia, and the eternal debate about the left-sided star’s best position for Ireland continues. Asked if the management team — or McCabe — would like to nail it down, Mahon said:
“I think that’s down to her. We are still going through the phase of understanding where players are suited best to their roles.
Katie McCabe at training this morning. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“I don’t want to pinpoint her and say she is this because there may be opportunities where she may have to play in other areas, or may play further up the pitch or may play back at left-back, it depends.
“Katie McCabe, for me and I have been up against her for many years in England, she is one of the best left-footers I have come across in women’s football. She is a captain, she is a leader. The last game didn’t work for us. I wouldn’t say it didn’t work for her. As a collective, it just didn’t work.”
Mahon also stressed he is “100%” with Ireland and would not be open to club coaching simultaneously, like Whiteley and goalkeeping specialist Emma Byrne.
Nick Cushing, who he served as a long-time assistant to at Manchester City, recently returned to the WSL side as interim manager, but the former Ireland international has closed that 10-year chapter.
“I am Ireland now. My only focus is Ireland, whether I do it for five, 10, 50 years, six months, this is me now. I am 100% doing this. I would not double job. But that is my preference. That’s not saying it cannot be done, it’s just the only way I can work.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Ireland assistant coach to miss Greece double-header due to passport issue
LAST UPDATE | 1 Apr 2025
IRELAND ASSISTANT COACH and Liverpool interim manager Amber Whitely will miss Ireland’s double-header against Greece due to a passport issue, while Heather Payne has emerged as an injury doubt.
Payne rolled her ankle in Everton’s 2-0 WSL defeat to Manchester United on Saturday, and didn’t train at FAI HQ Abbotstown this morning before the Girls In Green flew to Greece.
The 52-cap star travelled with the squad, but assistant head coach Alan Mahon admits she’s unlikely to be available for for Friday’s Nations League game in Crete. Payne appears to be in a fitness race for Tuesday’s return tie at Tallaght Stadium, more so.
“It’s down to the medics and that,” said Mahon. “I think it was more the timing, the quick turnaround and maybe it’s best that she just stays out of this just so there’s no long-term stuff.
“I think that was more the inkling. Whether she’s available for the second game, that’s down to the medics and how she reacts over the next couple of days really.”
Whiteley, meanwhile, is double-jobbing in Carla Ward’s set-up, having been appointed Liverpool caretaker boss in the wake of Matt Beard’s departure in February.
Whiteley was due in Ireland camp for the first fixture against Greece, but is absent due to a passport issue. FAI Head of Women and Girls’ Football Hannah Dingley has stepped in in a coaching capacity for the double-header.
Whiteley has repeatedly stated that she wants the permanent Liverpool job, and should that transpire, Ward last week said that Colin Healy would be considered for a dramatic return.
Mahon would also welcome Healy — Eileen Gleeson’s assistant head coach, who is in dispute with the FAI following his departure — into the fold.
“Not a problem,” said Mahon. “Not a problem at all. I’ve heard good things about Colin. I’ve never met him myself, I know of him, but there wouldn’t be an issue on my side or Carla’s side, to be honest.”
Ireland are looking to bounce back against Greece in League B of the Nations League after a 4-0 drubbing to Slovenia followed their 1-0 opening win over Türkiye.
Tactical decisions and experimentation backfired in Koper as a sub-par, but higher-ranked, Ireland were punished in their second fixture of this new management regime.
“The Slovenia game, let’s be honest, it wasn’t great for us,” Mahon reflected.
“We all know that, we’re in the game of football. It didn’t look great for us, it didn’t feel great after the game. But the beauty of football is you always go again and we’ll look at new things for this camp. I think we just tried a couple of things in that camp and that was it really, the result didn’t go our way.
“Obviously in hindsight, it’s ifs, buts and coconuts isn’t it? You do things at the time because you think that’s the plan. There are a couple of things that we could probably have changed, done a bit different, but I still back what we decided at the time because we felt it was right. Football is football, it is what it is.”
After honest reviews with players and staff, Ireland are “not trying to make too many massive changes to reinvent the wheel” as they target two wins against Greece.
Deploying Katie McCabe as a 10 was largely unsuccessful in Slovenia, and the eternal debate about the left-sided star’s best position for Ireland continues. Asked if the management team — or McCabe — would like to nail it down, Mahon said:
“I think that’s down to her. We are still going through the phase of understanding where players are suited best to their roles.
“I don’t want to pinpoint her and say she is this because there may be opportunities where she may have to play in other areas, or may play further up the pitch or may play back at left-back, it depends.
“Katie McCabe, for me and I have been up against her for many years in England, she is one of the best left-footers I have come across in women’s football. She is a captain, she is a leader. The last game didn’t work for us. I wouldn’t say it didn’t work for her. As a collective, it just didn’t work.”
Mahon also stressed he is “100%” with Ireland and would not be open to club coaching simultaneously, like Whiteley and goalkeeping specialist Emma Byrne.
Nick Cushing, who he served as a long-time assistant to at Manchester City, recently returned to the WSL side as interim manager, but the former Ireland international has closed that 10-year chapter.
“I am Ireland now. My only focus is Ireland, whether I do it for five, 10, 50 years, six months, this is me now. I am 100% doing this. I would not double job. But that is my preference. That’s not saying it cannot be done, it’s just the only way I can work.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Alan Mahon Football Ireland Soccer squad update Update