It has been quite the two years or so for Abbie Larkin.
At just 18 years old, the Ringsend native became the youngest player ever to represent Ireland at a FIFA World Cup in the 2023 opener against Australia, having made her debut for her country just over 12 months prior.
This week will see Ireland face Georgia in an away Euro 2025 playoff - it was an away tie against Georgia in 2022 which saw Larkin score her first goal for her country.
In the interim, there has been a contentious move from Shelbourne to Shamrock Rovers, a leap across the water to Glasgow City, another move south in the UK to Crystal Palace, promotion to the WSL and, of course, the memorable summer in Australia at the World Cup.
The last two years have been a whirlwind for Larkin but she says things are finally settling down now, despite some challenges along the way.
I think it all happened all in one go, but it has definitely all sunk in now. I am just keeping going with my football, enjoying every game that comes and enjoying my training with Crystal Palace and enjoying life, really.
Glasgow was definitely a challenge, first time moving away from home, I knew it was going to be tough. I think, looking back on it now, it definitely helped me grow as a player and gave me a new perspective on how football is, not just in Ireland. It definitely helped me moving to Palace in growing and developing.
I was a bit of a homebird, that definitely played a part in it. You are always going to miss your family, but you know they are only a flight away, so they can always come over and visit.
Speaking to Balls.ie and the Irish media this week ahead of Friday's playoff with Georgia, Larkin stressed the important role the Irish squad had played in her settling into life as a full-time footballer.
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Abbie Larkin reflects on whirlwind start to her career
22 October 2024; Republic of Ireland's Abbie Larkin, left, and Izzy Atkinson at their team hotel in Dublin ahead of the team's departure to Tbilisi for their UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Play-off first round first leg match against Georgia on Friday. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Given her youth and explosion onto the scene in 2022, there was immense pressure on Abbie Larkin when she first emerged as a core member of this Ireland squad.
Admirably, Larkin seems almost oblivious to the pressure that has brought, saying,
To be honest, I don’t really let pressure get to me. I’m just going to focus on me, I’ve got my family and friends to support me.
It’s just about enjoying it, I don’t want to lose the enjoyment of it because if I do that then I’m not going to play my best football. You’ve just got to keep that enjoyment.
Larkin remains one of the youngest players in either Irish senior squad, even though she has been a regular squad member since early 2022.
She has earned high praise from teammates and fans in that time, and she explains that her senior teammates took her under their wing in the infancy of her career.
I think coming into the squad, I definitely felt at home near the start.
This group of girls are amazing and they treat you like family when you're in. I definitely felt at home straight away, it wasn't just in the Georgia camp.
Obviously as I'm in here every time, we all get closer. It's a very nice environment here.
After the troubled time in Glasgow, Larkin secured a January move to Crystal Palace. The Eagles finished last season as champions of England's second tier, meaning Larkin is enjoying WSL football for the first time in her career this campaign.
"It’s definitely a big step from the Championship," Larkin says. "Crystal Palace, our club is more of a possession-based team and we had more of the ball in the Championship. Having that step up we need to realise we’re not going to have as much of the ball now."
It's yet another big change to Larkin's lifestyle as well - though she has had one of her closest friends on hand to help with settling in.
The friendship between Larkin and Izzy Atkinson is one of the closest in all of Irish football, and 23-year-old Atkinson moved to the south London club at the same time as Larkin earlier this year.
Her presence at Palace has been a major comfort for Larkin.
Of course, I knew Izzy was there when I was going and had Hayley Nolan as well, another Irish international.
It helped having familiar faces there and Izzy was obviously a big part to play in that. She was there for me through a lot, so I was grateful to have her there.
Abbie Larkin says that scoring her first goal for Ireland against Georgia in 2022 was a "dream come true" - a second goal for her country would be a welcome treat on Friday as Ireland look to push on to the final phase of the Euro 2025 playoffs.
Ireland take on Georgia in the first-leg of the Euro 2025 playoff semi-finals on Friday evening. Kick-off is at 5pm Irish time, with the game live on RTÉ 2.
