SPECULATION WAS RIFE, but the move was yet to be confirmed.

Claire Walsh was keeping her cards close to her chest, her switch from Peamount United to Glasgow City effectively sealed but not announced by the Scottish kingpins.

“At the moment, I’m just focusing on Peamount and loving it,” she told The42 a little over a week ago, ahead of the top-of-the-table Women’s National League [WNL] clash with Shelbourne.

“We’ve obviously had a really successful couple of years, the last two years we’ve won the league. I’m loving it at the moment but no, I wouldn’t rule it out.”

A move overseas, of course, that was. Lo and behold, the news of her first professional contract broke on Monday morning, two days after the dramatic 4-3 defeat to Shels.

The result means the Reds have leapfrogged Peamount to the summit of the WNL table. It was their first defeat of the season, the Greenogue outfit having enjoyed unprecedented league success over the past two seasons.

Chasing three-in-a-row, they’ve nailed the old sporting cliché that winning is a habit, though Shelbourne did stop them in their tracks last time out.

With the perfect blend of youth and experience, it must be said that they’ve created an incredible winning culture at the club, as Walsh knows best. At times, her words felt like a parting gift.

“It’s been amazing the last few years,” the centre-back told The42. “It’s just such a massive family there and everyone’s looking out for each other. Not even the players, the backroom staff and everyone at the club just wants the best for the team.

“It’s great to have such experience. Playing with Áine O’Gorman is just class. She’s just a top pro and I think everyone ups their game when they see the likes of her and Karen [Duggan] and Steph [Roche] around. It’s a really, really good culture that we have.”

In those mentioned, you have some of the biggest names in Irish women’s football over the past few years.

Her fellow Wicklow countywoman O’Gorman is a centurion, who has come out of international retirement stronger; Duggan called time on her Ireland career in 2018 though has excelled in the WNL since, named Player of the Year last season, and Roche’s name speaks for itself. Even if you know nothing about Irish women’s football, you’ve heard of Stephanie Roche.

Alongside those, you have some of the best domestic players in the country in Walsh and striker Eleanor Ryan-Doyle, for example, and rising stars in Della Doherty — who has partnered Walsh at centre-back since Niamh Farrelly’s departure for Glasgow — and Becky Watkins.

“It feels like Della and Becky are kind of the older girls now, but they only really came in with us last year. They’re kind of more like senior players now. They’ve been excellent.

“Della has slotted right into centre-back and Becky has been great as well. I think she scored two goals for the [Ireland] U19s there a few weeks ago, absolute crackers, she’s flying it.

“There’s a few others as well. We’ve Orla Fitzpatrick and Chloe Smullen coming through again this year, who are both top, top players. It’s great to have those coming through from Peamount. It keeps everyone battling for positions, which is healthy for everyone.”

Walsh celebrating last year's FAI Cup final win with Karen Duggan. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

Looking at the wider landscape, Walsh is also well-versed to share her opinion on the progression of the WNL over the past few years.

Having played for Peamount as a youngster before heading Stateside for college, the 26-year-old returned to line out for UCD Waves – now DLR – for a brief stint before returning to Peas for this period of dominance.

In this, the league’s 11th season, massive leaps have been taken off the field to match strides made on it in terms of standards. SSE Airtricity stepped up as sponsors, alongside the men’s equivalent, following notable struggles in that department over the past few years. For the first time ever, all games are being streamed live, and free, on LOI TV — a move which was met with much acclaim online. 

An U19 tier was also added to bridge the gap from U17 to senior, while prize money has been bumped by 141%.

“There’s definitely been improvements,” Walsh nods. “Promotion and coverage in particular, and I guess that’s probably a positive we can take from the pandemic.

“A lot of games were streamed last year and then from there, I think that probably encouraged the league to actually go and stream them all. It’s great, I know my family love to be able to stream the games – and they’ll be going to them again soon.

“I think the media has been great for the league, it promotes it kind of similar to the men’s, which probably never happened before. It’s come on a lot, there’s definitely a long way to go but it’s great to see it going in the right direction.”

Walsh leaves the Irish top-flight behind her now, though, joining Glasgow on a two-year deal where she’ll be reunited with Farrelly and their fellow international team-mates Clare Shine and Aoife Colvill.