The magnitude of the task ahead for the Republic of Ireland as they embark on their 2025 Euro qualifying campaign is demonstrated by the caliber of the French team they face in Metz on Friday (5th April). Hervé Renard, the French coach, revealed his team a short while after Eileen Gleeson released selection at Sky HQ in Dublin.
Renard’s team comprises of 24 players including 10 Champions League winners and 15 who participated in this season’s quarter-finals, a stark contrast to Ireland. Players such as Wendie Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry, who boast a combined 445 international caps, are amongst the highly-experienced and talented players in the French team.
Gleeson was aware of the demanding nature of the fixtures when the draw was made earlier this month, knowing they would also face stiff competition from England – set to play at the Aviva Stadium the Tuesday just after the France match – along with Sweden, another impressive team.
Quoting Gleeson,”It was the group of death that no one anticipated.”
Gleeson, having summoned 40 players to her squads since last September, playing 28 of them in her eight games at the helm, has primarily trusted those familiar with the setup, with former England youth player Anna Patten being a fresh face. Patten, who used to play with Megan Connolly at Florida State University and Katie McCabe at Arsenal, now represents Aston Villa. The 24-year-old defender’s eligibility rides on her Donegal-born grandfather and Galway-born grandmother even though she is still waiting for FIFA approval to play for Ireland.
Emily Murphy, another ex-England youth player who made her debut last month against Wales, will continue her tenure with the team.
However, Gleeson was unable to include Sinead Farrelly, whose quadricep injury caused her to sit out the first two games of the NWSL season. Niamh Fahey, the captain of Liverpool, whose presence was uncertain due to a calf injury, has been included in the squad. Matt Beard, her club manager, did suggest she would be absent for several weeks.
Tyler Toland, a midfielder for Blackburn Rovers, is back in the roster after missing the last international window. Unfortunately, there’s no space for local players, as Gleeson has previously enlisted the Peamount United four, Erin McLaughlin, Jess Fitzgerald, Freya Healy, and Ellen Dolan, and the currently injured Savannah McCarthy from Shamrock Rovers.
“This indicates the high level of competition in the team, as more players are engaged at the upper echelons of the game,” she commented.
“We first focus on the LOI and we naturally seek to nurture talents, but what’s important is that they are competing at a level sufficiently advanced to withstand the intensity at international level. Though the LOI is progressing well, there’s still much room for improvement.
“Because of the quality of the opposition in this batch, it’s not feasible to include newcomers like Freya and Ellen, as we require more seasoned players at this juncture.”
When asked about Patten’s inclusion, Gleeson revealed that she has been in regular contact with the player, asserting that she can be “a valuable asset for the team”.
“She’s performing exceptionally in the WSL. She is resilient, competitive, and can contribute positively to our side. Once her eligibility is officially recognized, she will be up for selection.”
She conceded that it was personally challenging to ignore players like Hayley Nolan and Claire O’Riordan, both defenders who are having stellar seasons with Crystal Palace and Standard Liege respectively, while including a player who has just switched loyalties. But she accepted the necessity for toughness in these decisions.
“These are hard choices, but we have to enlarge our talent scope. It’s not unusual for players with diverse accents, backgrounds, birthplaces, and family roots to join the team. We have no intention to enlist anyone who is not fully committed to Ireland, lacks a connection with Ireland, and would not to integrate with the group. But we trust Anna can achieve that.”
She pointed out that one of the reasons for Patten’s recruitment is the need to rejuvenate her defensive alternatives.
“We’re fully aware age stops for nobody, and athletes such as Louise Quinn (33), Diane Caldwell (35), and Niamh Fahey (36) understand themselves about the career span of an elite sportsperson, so we must adopt a long-term perspective. We have up and coming talents like Jessie Stapleton and potentially Aoife Mannion, but as these players inevitably move on from the game, we need to explore more alternatives.”
Positioned in a group with the world’s second, third, and sixth top teams, Gleeson elaborated that the bold approach previously taken against lesser opponents in the last year’s Nations League competition will need to be reevaluated.
“Obviously, we will need to adopt a more practical approach this time. If odds were to be placed, it would be likely for us to finish fourth in the group – however, this cannot be our initial stance or the attitude we enter the competition with. We will put up a fight whilst in the game. However, we also need to be grounded in realism.”
Republic of Ireland’s team comprises Goalkeepers Courtney Brosnan from Everton, Grace Moloney from London City Lionesses, and Sophie Whitehouse from Lewes. The defence includes Jessie Stapleton, who is on loan from West Ham to Reading, Diane Caldwell from FC Zurich, Louise Quinn from Birmingham City, Niamh Fahey of Liverpool, Aoife Mannion from Manchester United, Caitlin Hayes of Celtic, Anna Patten from Aston Villa, and Megan Campbell of London City Lionesses. The midfield features Katie McCabe from Arsenal, Denise O’Sullivan from North Carolina Courage, Megan Connolly from Bristol City, Ruesha Littlejohn from London City Lionesses, Tyler Toland from Blackburn Rovers, Lily Agg from Birmingham City, Heather Payne of Everton, Jess Ziu from West Ham, Lucy Quinn from Birmingham City, and Izzy Atkinson from Crystal Palace. The forwards are Kyra Carusa of San Diego Wave, Abbie Larkin of Crystal Palace, Amber Barrett from Standard Liege, Leanne Kiernan of Liverpool, and Emily Murphy from Wake Forest University.
The qualifying matches will be played in France.
The following footballers make up the team: In the goalkeeping role, we have Solène Durand from Sassuolo, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin from Juventus, and Constance Picaud from Paris Saint-Germain. In the line of defence, players like Élisa De Almeida, Sakina Karchaoui, Thiniba Samoura from Paris Saint-Germain, Wendie Renard, Griedge Mbock Bathy from Lyon, Estelle Cascarino from Juventus, as well as Maëlle Lakrar from Montpellier and Ève Périsset from Chelsea will hold the fort. The team’s midfield comprises of Sandy Baltimore, Grace Geyoro from Paris Saint-Germain, Amandine Henry from Angel City, Selma Bacha of Lyon, Kenza Dali from Aston Villa, Lea Le Garrec of FC Fleury, and Sandie Toletti from Real Madrid. The forward lineup includes Vicki Becho, Kadidiatou Diani, Eugénie Le Sommer, Delphine Cascarino all from Lyon, along with Julie Dufour from Paris FC, and Marie-Antoinette Katoto from Paris Saint-Germain.