'I’d love to see her stay' - Gleeson backed to continue as Ireland boss

JESSIE STAPLETON has backed Eileen Gleeson to continue as Ireland manager.

The 19-year-old was handed a start in midfield for Tuesday’s key Euro 2025 playoff final versus Wales, as the Girls in Green fell just fell short of qualifying.

Missing out on the tournament in Switzerland next summer means manager Eileen Gleeson’s future is uncertain.

Her contract is due to be up at the end of this campaign, and the team have failed to build on the historic achievement of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time in the previous qualification cycle.

Irish players appeared reluctant to back Vera Pauw to stay after the group-stage exit from that 2023 tournament, however, the Sunderland loanee had no hesitation in urging the FAI to stick with Gleeson.

The Dublin coach herself was unwilling to discuss the matter in the immediate aftermath of the Wales loss.

But asked whether it could be the manager’s last game in charge of Ireland, Stapleton replied: “I don’t know anything about that. Eilo is the gaffer for now and she’s got us to where we are and I think she’s been incredible.

“She put a lot of trust in me and I feel like I’ve developed a lot under her.

“I’d love to see her stay in the role and I don’t think one result should define her. We’ve come on a lot as a team under Eilo. I’d back her as a manager.”

It was a night of mixed emotions for the teenager. She was the one slight surprise in the Ireland XI, replacing Lily Agg from the first leg.

While it ended in crushing disappointment, Stapleton described being given the nod in such a huge game as “one of the proudest moments of my career”.

The midfielder was also critical of the officiating on Tuesday night, as a couple of big decisions went against Ireland.

“I don’t think we deserved that. I think we were the better team on the night. I don’t think the referee and officials helped us in any way.

“I think [the Wales penalty] was soft but we can’t get too much into that.”

There has been talk of some of the more long-serving players retiring following this week’s disappointment, but Stapleton does not necessarily feel that will be the case.

“It’s their decision, I think they’re all capable of keeping going. Some of them are fitter than some of us coming in. It’s up to them.

“They’re all amazing players, the experience they have is class and you know me and all the younger girls are learning from them every camp we come in. So I hope they stick around, it would be amazing for the country and the team.”

And despite Gleeson’s side falling short in their bid to become the first Irish senior team to reach back-to-back major tournaments since Jack Charlton’s men did so by securing their place at Italia ’90, Stapleton believes progress has been made.

“The past couple of months we’ve shown how much we’ve come on from the first game in the campaign to now.

“We’re a better team, more ball playing, more physical, winning our battles, [Tuesday] wasn’t our night and we’ll be sore for a few days but we’ll dust ourselves down and make sure we get to the next tournament.”