Change of guard in defence as Ireland look to future
It’s at the back that Ireland are looking to the future.
France in the opener of a brutally daunting Euro qualification group looms this day week in Metz but tackling the transition of their steady defence has been clear for a while.
Her predecessor Vera Pauw shipped flak for characterising the trio of centre-backs as “slow” but Eileen Gleeson offered a tacit nod in that direction by accepting an overhaul is nigh.
Diane Caldwell, Louise Quinn and Niamh Fahey have formed that backbone for the majority of the last decade and now the centurions are all well into their thirties.
Fahey, at 36, is the eldest squad member, followed by Caldwell a year her junior. Birmingham City skipper Quinn turns 34 in June.
Ironically, they could be replaced in time by three English-born players to have declared in the space of just over the past year.
Aoife Mannion was first to enroll 13 months ago, having been on the bench for England’s seniors.
Then Celtic’s Caitlin Hayes finalised her eligibility last September to become a fixture in the rearguard for all six of the Nations League wins and now Anna Patten has switched allegiance.
The latter was also part of the England set-up, expressing her pride at captaining their U23 team just over a year ago.
She was then on loan from Arsenal but has completed a permanent switch to Aston Villa.
“It is a great honour and it means a lot,” said Patten, a former teammate of Ireland captain Katie McCabe at the Gunners. “My parents were watching, so it was so nice to wear the armband, sing the national anthem loud and proud, and I couldn’t ask for much more.
“If we are fortunate to ever get up to the seniors, then it wouldn’t all be brand new”.
Assembling with the Ireland squad at Castleknock
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