AS THE BID to reach a first-ever major tournament hits new heights in 2022, the Republic of Ireland women’s national team have been handed a timely boost.
Versatile defender and long-throw specialist Megan Campbell appears to have put a horrific run of injuries behind her, and is back playing regular football with Liverpool.
Louise Quinn was speaking at the launch of the 2022 SPAR FAI Primary School 5s Programme today. Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE
“She’s a fighter,” Louise Quinn smiles, knowing just how much of an asset the 28-year-old can be through the business end of the 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign, which kick-starts in April.
While Campbell played for the first time in almost two years before Christmas, making her belated competitive debut for the Reds after a significant ankle injury derailed her start to life on Merseyside, she ramped up her return with a Player of the Match performance in her first full 90 minutes back on Sunday.
The Drogheda native unleashed her trademark long-throw to assist Katie Stengel’s 83rd-minute winner against Watford, as Liverpool chase promotion from the Championship.
It was certainly a pleasing sight for all those in Irish women’s football circles, given that weapon has served national teams so well in the past. Her potential return could also bring an end to the ongoing debate about who slots in best at left-back, allowing captain Katie McCabe to move further forward.
Keen to play her way back into contention for a first Ireland cap since October 2019, as discussed on The42‘s The Football Family this week, Campbell will be hoping her long-awaited second appearance under Vera Pauw can come in 2022.
And Quinn is thinking likewise.
“Megan has always been a part of the Irish squad,” the Ireland centre-half and Birmingham captain said at the launch of the 2022 SPAR FAI Primary School 5s Programme today.
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“Obviously, she’s had some very difficult injuries, but she’s still always a part of this squad and you’d love then if she can come back in. She shows what she can do — Liverpool only won the game 1-0 and that was down to her assist off that throw-in.
“We all know how incredibly special and unique that is, but it is what she brings on the ground and on the grass as well, and what she can do with her feet and her decision making.
“It maybe was her first starting game, and she’s still able to take that pressure of starting her first game and then putting in a performance like that. It obviously shows that she absolutely still has that quality, and puts herself back in for contention.
“She’s brilliant, and to come over everything as well, that mental strength… she’s a fighter. And that’s exactly what the national team need as well.”
Megan Campbell after her last Ireland appearance in October 2019 - Pauw's first game in charge. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland currently sit second in Group A after wins over Finland (2-1 away) and Georgia (11-0 at home), along with a 1-1 draw with Slovakia and a 1-0 defeat to heavyweights Sweden, both in Tallaght.
Quinn assesses the campaign so far as “solid” and “positive,” and agrees — though technically, as she makes a point of stressing — that they’re on course for the play-off spot.
The 31-year-old points to lessons learned from the unsuccessful Euro 2022 campaign, though. “It is cliché, but we do have to take each game as it comes, because I think it started getting a little bit maybe thinking too far ahead,” she frowns.
“[Driving on in the business end] is the most important thing. You can’t have it any other way to be honest. You can’t drop off, you can’t get complacent. We’ve just got to take that momentum.”
That, they will, with everyone involved “itching to get back together,” Quinn reports; a series of friendlies on the horizon next month.
With early calculations showing Ireland’s qualification fortunes will likely hinge on September’s massive double-header — the visit of Finland, and then a showdown in Slovakia — Quinn won’t get too fixated on that.
The Girls in Green get off the mark once again against Sweden in Gothenburg, with the 14,500-seater Gamla Ullevi hosting the 12 April tie.
“We need to see what position we get ourselves in after we play Sweden,” she explains. “It can change things or it can keep them the same. It is amazing really what one result can do. But obviously you know in the back of your mind that they’re going to become some very important games.
“We will go into Sweden with confidence, knowing we pushed them back when we played them a few months ago and made it very difficult for them. Maybe could have nicked a draw in the end, if luck went our way. They obviously had most of the possession but for us, I think we put in a very solid performance. They were putting on extra defensive players to stop our attacks as well.
Louise Quinn on the ball against Georgia. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s there and we really let them know that we’re pushing them.”
With all available tickets snapped up amidst restrictions, 4,017 fans watched Ireland host Sweden in October. While they’ve never sold Tallaght out and the record crowd is 5,328, the general consensus is that’s coming.
And hopefully in 2022.
“The demand is there, it’s excellent and I think we’re very capable of it,” Quinn concludes, buoyed by the sizeable attendances in recent months.
“That’s going to be again, another next step for us as well to want to achieve. I feel like we are, we’re breaking down a lot of barriers in women’s sport and women’s football in Ireland. For us, that is a target. Absolutely.”
- An article on Louise Quinn and her Irish team-mates’ relegation battle with Birmingham will follow on The42.
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Ireland could be boosted by 'special and unique' Campbell as World Cup bid hits new heights - Quinn
AS THE BID to reach a first-ever major tournament hits new heights in 2022, the Republic of Ireland women’s national team have been handed a timely boost.
Versatile defender and long-throw specialist Megan Campbell appears to have put a horrific run of injuries behind her, and is back playing regular football with Liverpool.
“She’s a fighter,” Louise Quinn smiles, knowing just how much of an asset the 28-year-old can be through the business end of the 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign, which kick-starts in April.
While Campbell played for the first time in almost two years before Christmas, making her belated competitive debut for the Reds after a significant ankle injury derailed her start to life on Merseyside, she ramped up her return with a Player of the Match performance in her first full 90 minutes back on Sunday.
The Drogheda native unleashed her trademark long-throw to assist Katie Stengel’s 83rd-minute winner against Watford, as Liverpool chase promotion from the Championship.
It was certainly a pleasing sight for all those in Irish women’s football circles, given that weapon has served national teams so well in the past. Her potential return could also bring an end to the ongoing debate about who slots in best at left-back, allowing captain Katie McCabe to move further forward.
Keen to play her way back into contention for a first Ireland cap since October 2019, as discussed on The42‘s The Football Family this week, Campbell will be hoping her long-awaited second appearance under Vera Pauw can come in 2022.
And Quinn is thinking likewise.
“Megan has always been a part of the Irish squad,” the Ireland centre-half and Birmingham captain said at the launch of the 2022 SPAR FAI Primary School 5s Programme today.
“Obviously, she’s had some very difficult injuries, but she’s still always a part of this squad and you’d love then if she can come back in. She shows what she can do — Liverpool only won the game 1-0 and that was down to her assist off that throw-in.
“We all know how incredibly special and unique that is, but it is what she brings on the ground and on the grass as well, and what she can do with her feet and her decision making.
“It maybe was her first starting game, and she’s still able to take that pressure of starting her first game and then putting in a performance like that. It obviously shows that she absolutely still has that quality, and puts herself back in for contention.
“She’s brilliant, and to come over everything as well, that mental strength… she’s a fighter. And that’s exactly what the national team need as well.”
Ireland currently sit second in Group A after wins over Finland (2-1 away) and Georgia (11-0 at home), along with a 1-1 draw with Slovakia and a 1-0 defeat to heavyweights Sweden, both in Tallaght.
Quinn assesses the campaign so far as “solid” and “positive,” and agrees — though technically, as she makes a point of stressing — that they’re on course for the play-off spot.
The 31-year-old points to lessons learned from the unsuccessful Euro 2022 campaign, though. “It is cliché, but we do have to take each game as it comes, because I think it started getting a little bit maybe thinking too far ahead,” she frowns.
“[Driving on in the business end] is the most important thing. You can’t have it any other way to be honest. You can’t drop off, you can’t get complacent. We’ve just got to take that momentum.”
That, they will, with everyone involved “itching to get back together,” Quinn reports; a series of friendlies on the horizon next month.
With early calculations showing Ireland’s qualification fortunes will likely hinge on September’s massive double-header — the visit of Finland, and then a showdown in Slovakia — Quinn won’t get too fixated on that.
The Girls in Green get off the mark once again against Sweden in Gothenburg, with the 14,500-seater Gamla Ullevi hosting the 12 April tie.
“We need to see what position we get ourselves in after we play Sweden,” she explains. “It can change things or it can keep them the same. It is amazing really what one result can do. But obviously you know in the back of your mind that they’re going to become some very important games.
“We will go into Sweden with confidence, knowing we pushed them back when we played them a few months ago and made it very difficult for them. Maybe could have nicked a draw in the end, if luck went our way. They obviously had most of the possession but for us, I think we put in a very solid performance. They were putting on extra defensive players to stop our attacks as well.
“It’s there and we really let them know that we’re pushing them.”
With all available tickets snapped up amidst restrictions, 4,017 fans watched Ireland host Sweden in October. While they’ve never sold Tallaght out and the record crowd is 5,328, the general consensus is that’s coming.
And hopefully in 2022.
“The demand is there, it’s excellent and I think we’re very capable of it,” Quinn concludes, buoyed by the sizeable attendances in recent months.
“That’s going to be again, another next step for us as well to want to achieve. I feel like we are, we’re breaking down a lot of barriers in women’s sport and women’s football in Ireland. For us, that is a target. Absolutely.”
- An article on Louise Quinn and her Irish team-mates’ relegation battle with Birmingham will follow on The42.
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big year ahead Ireland Louise Quinn Megan Campbell