LOUISE QUINN SPEAKS for the entire Republic of Ireland women’s national team when she shares her confidence in them continuing on an upward trajectory.

After a perfect Nations League campaign capped an historic 2023, Quinn and co. are gearing up to face higher-ranked opposition in the top-tier of European football next year. They’ll do so under a new manager, with Vera Pauw’s permanent successor due to be named in the coming weeks.

A 100% record against Northern Ireland, Hungary and Albania saw Ireland secure promotion to League A and significantly boost their Euro 2025 qualification hopes.

The Girls In Green scored 20 goals in six games as interim head coach Eileen Gleeson deployed a more front-footed style.

“We are really setting ourselves some standards this year, getting to a World Cup, six from six, but we know what we will be getting ourselves into,” centurion Quinn begins.

“That means raising the levels, a higher ranking as well when it comes to the Euros pot but we have set standards now, we have shown what kind of possession team we can be but it is about keeping [the ball] for slightly longer periods of time, getting that control when we are in possession.”

As always, the team’s success is built on a strong defence.

“We’ve conceded two goals the whole campaign,” Quinn stresses to The 42. “We were comfortable. We have some very, very good centre-backs, some very good goalkeepers and that is the foundation that we are always going to have. We are never going to let that go, it’s just about how we progress.

“I think there were some fantastic moments. We can always do a little bit better. We’re always trying to push for that, we are so motivated to always grow and push and get better. We are just setting ourselves new targets all the time and if we are not willing to learn, we should just stop there.

“I’m 33 and I’m still learning. I’m literally watching Caitlin [Hayes] and I’m like, ‘How the hell did she do that?’ because she’s brilliant on the ball and I want to be able to do that better, so that is something that I’ll be working on personally.”

Hayes was a big winner through the campaign. The English-born Celtic defender was called up on the eve of the Northern Ireland opener at the Aviva Stadium, catapulted into the XI and has played every minute since her debut alongside Quinn and Diane Caldwell.

As well as being a tenacious, ball-playing centre-half, the 28-year-old is a huge aerial threat. She has scored twice — a header against Hungary, and a superb strike to complete the 6-1 Windsor Park rout on Tuesday — amidst a whirlwind three months in green.

“She has just slotted right in and we have needed that since Niamh Fahey has had an injury as well,” Quinn says; herself and her understudy prominent in the stat charts, with Hayes claiming the most interceptions (34) and clearances (15)

“She is brilliant, composed, very, very good on the ball which is what you need from one of those outside centre-backs. It’s just a pleasure to play beside her and she has really stepped up to the mark. This is something that is new to her, international football, so it’s a credit to her.”

Caitlin Hayes on the ball. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

The depth in central defence is striking. Quinn and Hayes have played every game, while Caldwell has featured prominently. More naturally a midfielder, Megan Connolly has also lined out there, with Jessie Stapleton — “one for the future, she has a bit of everything” — earning her second cap off the bench this week.

Alongside Fahey, the impressive Aoife Mannion is also out injured. Megan Campbell, Savannah McCarthy, Claire O’Riordan and Hayley Nolan are among other options.

“Friendly competition,” as Quinn puts it.

“That’s what drives us and a massive reason why the squad has been so successful. Everyone is absolutely desperate to play but if you’re not playing, the support to make each other better is constant. We want our nation to push on and everyone is needed.”

The Wicklow native’s brilliant header against the North was her first of the campaign, with the in-form Kyra Carusa and Hayes now among her rivals for nodded goals. That epitomises the evolution of the team and changes in attack.

“It felt like something I needed. But we have so much variety now. In the past, it felt like I was the only target and not just how we felt, it was sometimes how we worked on things even though we had some really good headers.

“Kyra has proved it every time, Caitlin has proved it, that we are threat from all areas and when delivery from balls is like that, we should be getting on the end of them.”

Quinn passionately called for an advancement of playing style on RTÉ in the wake of the World Cup. She expressed her desire “to see us really going after games,” and feels they achieved that this Autumn — and will continue to in 2024.

“Yeah, and it is about linking that in when we start playing teams that are ranked above us. It is about clean sheets at the back the whole time, adding in that amount of possession we have, but finding that nice mix — not overdoing it in terms of how much we have to play out from the back or how much defensively, we sit back.

“It’s a fine balance but now we can pick from so much, we have shown the variety now in terms of our play. Everyone does it with their club as well, this is modern football now, it’s play, play, play and for us, we want to keep moving forward with that.”