Emma Duffy

CARLA WARD IS well aware of the spotlight she is under; the pressure, the challenges and criticism she may face as Ireland head coach.

She has experienced it all before. In football and in life.

The former Aston Villa and Birmingham City boss says she has “a built-in under-armour” and often blocks out outside noise by muting social media.

It has been a whirlwind for Ward since her Ireland appointment on 15 January. Colin Healy’s acrimonious exit has overshadowed the early days of her reign, the new boss faced with a fire she never started.

Then there has been the routine stuff: watching games, meeting players and staff, and assembling her squad, above all else. They meet for the first time later today, ahead of Friday’s Nations League opener against Türkiye at Tallaght Stadium.

A month in, she is adjusting to the cut and thrust of her first international management job. Has its profile surprised, shocked, or scared her?

“It has definitely not scared me,” Ward says. “Not many things scare me. The profile of the job — when I turned up to Castleknock Hotel and they were all opening doors, the little bits and pieces (made me) realise it (the job) is a big thing for the Irish.

“It surprised me actually — not that I thought people wouldn’t care — but how much the Irish really buy into women’s football and I think that was really, really important. That surprised me in a good way. But as I said, not much scares me. I like challenges.”

She’s going into this one with her eyes wide open. The English coach said her “neck is on the block” during the week, and is fully comfortable with the high degree of pressure she will encounter.

“I have been in various clubs with various problems or lack of resources. You have to find a way,” she explains.

“At Birmingham, we had eight players with the first game of the season two weeks away. We pulled a group of people together. We understood we had to stay up. We understood the pressures of just trying to keep afloat every single day.

“When I was at Villa, the pressures there were huge even though the budgets weren’t. There was a lot of pressure there. That is part and parcel of the game. It has always been in the men’s game. But because I have been involved in football from such a young age, you have kind of seen it and grown up with it whereas people in the women’s game maybe don’t expect that kind of pressure, but actually the pressure is there.

“You have to expect that in league football if you lose four or five games, you are going to get the sack. That is the reality. If we fail to hit certain targets then the chances are you are going to get the sack and that is why you have to work every single day like it is your last.

“But when it comes to pressure, I am the sort of person that will take that pressure away from the staff and the players and I will take that pressure on to myself. We know the landscape of football. We know you guys (the media), while you are quite nice now, I am expecting that if things don’t go right that people will come after you. That happens. It is how we manage those moments.”

Ward during her time as Aston Villa boss. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

There will be scrutiny. There could be attacks. Ward expects professional criticism, but some disparagement has gone too far through the years.

“If you personally attack me, that is a reflection on those that personally attack. If you professionally attack me, that is different.

“One thing I’ve started to do in the last year is take myself away from social media in those moments. We all know Twitter is a horrible place at times. It is a platform that is not particularly nice at the best of times.

“I do handle pressure quite well. It probably comes from the upbringing that I had. I had a very difficult upbringing and that teaches you to be resilient. I am well equipped. I have a built-in under-armour under here.”

That has only strengthened in football management, several standout moments helping to build robustness and resilience as she learned to cope with pressure.

“When I went from a player to a manager early on, I had some harsh learnings. That was more understanding how to manage your emotions as a player. I was very fiery. I was quite a character who wore my heart on my sleeve. I still do now but it was probably a little bit different then.

“The pressure, if you want some bedtime reading, look at the video of after we got beaten 6-0 by Chelsea, fifth game on the bounce that we had lost and I thought I was going to get the sack that day. If you watch the interview, that will probably answer your question (about learning to cope with pressure).

“You probably have to bring it back to reality of where you are at. I am okay with being vulnerable and giving you an honest answer, telling you what it is really like. That is the best way you can be. I can only face it with the truth.”

That 6-0 drubbing was indeed the tipping point for Ward’s social media hiatus.

Villa turned it around, but Ward stepped down on her own terms a few months later.

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She has since returned to management — and social media — and is ready to embrace the spotlight and all that comes with it once again.

“I haven’t been battered since. When I get battered again, I’ll mute,” she laughs.

Meanwhile, Ward has confirmed that Izzy Atkinson is “out of favour” at Crystal Palace. The 23-year-old hasn’t featured in a club matchday squad in 2025 to date, but the new Ireland head coach hopes to influence her positively with some “tough love” after selecting her for international duty.

“I am a big believer in giving people an opportunity to see what I can do to help and get them back on track,” said Ward. “Izzy has huge potential. Now it is up to her. We can only meet her halfway.”