Having been crushed by missing out on one major tournament, the motivation of figuring at the next is lifting Jamie Finn from her latest setback.
The versatile Ireland women’s international became the latest female player to suffer an anterior cruciate ligament rupture during the build-up to the February friendly in Italy.
Finn has won her 20th cap in the final match of the peerless Uefa Nations League series, a 6-1 hammering of Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in the final international of 2023.
That signalled redemption for being the shock omission from the squad for the World Cup in Australia. Being a mainstay of their path to a first-ever tournament qualification didn’t count for much when Vera Pauw lowered the axe.
For the past seven weeks, the 26-year-old has been convalescing from a different type of sharp instrument.
She’s reluctant to commit a timeline on her full comeback – Christmas might be best guess for action with Birmingham City – but in her absence Ireland might have sealed another major tournament place by then.
Success in that maiden Nations League campaign risked a nightmare draw in the Euro qualifiers and opening defeats to France and England may well be the pattern of what prevails in a four-team group completed by their next opponents Sweden, on May 31 and June 4.
Thankfully, relegation back to League B doesn’t affect their guarantee of another route to the finals in Switzerland next year. Those pair of playoffs conclude in early December, just as Finn should be back to full fitness.
“Of course,” she said of the Euro incentive.
“The minute the injury happened I was counting down the months to the Euros. As a footballer you want to be at World Cups and Euros. That's what you work towards.
“F
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