Eileen Gleeson has named her Ireland squad for the upcoming Euro 2025 playoff against Wales, with a first-ever European Championship appearance on the horizon.
The women's squad have been boosted by the return of three hugely experienced players. Ruesha Littlejohn and Megans Connolly and Campbell all return to camp having missed last month's playoff semi-final against Georgia through injury.
Eva Mangan and Ellen Molloy drop out of the squad, while there is still no place for the firing Saoirse Noonan despite her Champions League involvement with Celtic.
After the joyous journey to the 2023 World Cup, Ireland will reach a European Championship for the first time with victory in their two-legged playoff with Wales.
Memories will be fresh of the doomed Euro 2022 qualification when a shock group-stage defeat to Ukraine in Kyiv derailed Vera Pauw's side on their march to a playoff.
Eileen Gleeson was involved in the backroom team that day in October 2020. Speaking at the squad announcement in the Aviva Stadium on Thursday, Gleeson said that the massive steps forward taken by Ireland since that disappointment should stand to them as they stare down Euro 2025.
I was involved in the game against Ukraine and we definitely don’t want to be… that was one of the worst nights for me in football as well as the players and the staff that were involved in that.
I think the experience the girls have had since then, the (World Cup) qualification, the positive play-off experience is also a nice benchmark to work towards and remind everybody of.
The experience of being in that League A and the tough qualifying group, like I’ve said, the value of that lends itself to the lessons that we’ve learned about how resilient we can be, how we can be hard to beat against top teams and how we can be creative then.
It’s being alert without being fearful, and being fully prepared and feeling fully prepared. We all know what we have to do but it’s acting on that so we always talk in action language, making sure all the details are covered and being as prepared as we can.
There is a chance that these two games could be Gleeson's last in charge of Ireland - a situation she addressed in the press conference on Thursday.
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Eileen Gleeson addresses her contract situation with Ireland
The FAI clarified on Thursday that Eileen Gleeson's current contract as head coach of the Ireland WNT runs until the end of the team's involvement in Euro 2025.
That does of course raise the possibility that, should Ireland lose the upcoming playoff to Wales, Gleeson may depart as head coach as a result.
Gleeson addressed her contract situation at Thursday's press conference, saying there have been no discussions yet on an extension.
Marc [Canham] and I speak all the time, we have a really positive relationship. There’s been no discussions around contract, I want to keep all focus…I don’t have the capacity to focus on anything else, only Wales.
I’m not really thinking about myself and what the games are [for me]. I’m thinking about the playoffs, I’m thinking about getting the players ready. Post-the games, then we’ll be able to talk about conversations around that. But I’m trying to keep all my brain power for these games!
Gleeson and Ireland will need to be alert if they are to get the better of Wales - a team who took a surprisingly comfortable win in Tallaght only this year.
Since that February defeat, Gleeson's side have played out a campaign in UEFA Nations League A, getting experience regularly playing some of the world's best teams.
That campaign ultimately ended with just one win (against France in the final game), but Gleeson is sure it will make this Ireland team an entirely different prospect to the one beaten by Wales earlier this year.
We had a really strong group that we were part of in the qualifying group. There’s lots of learning in that.
Playing against England, France and Sweden, we learned where our limitations were against the level of those teams. But we also learned how to be really resilient, hard to beat and difficult to break down.
These are really important learnings for us, playing against opposition like that. We also learned how to get a result towards the end of it. Really, really valuable experiences.
Ireland's dominant performance in their Nations League B group last year and their victory over France on the final day of the League A campaign in July meant they were seeded for this playoff draw.
16 July 2024; Julie-Ann Russell of Republic of Ireland and her daughter Rosie in the team huddle after the 2025 UEFA Women's European Championship qualifying group A match between Republic of Ireland and France at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Seeding means home advantage for the crucial second leg on December 3rd, and the team will return to the Aviva Stadium.
With over 15,000 tickets already sold, Eileen Gleeson is hopeful that the team can provide a night to remember in the national stadium.
It’s huge. We kept talking about the seeded places for the draw and where we’d end up, but one of the rewards of that was that you would be in your home stadium for the second leg. That’s huge.
To come home here to the Aviva, I think there’s already over 15,000 tickets sold, we’re hoping everybody comes out because it can be a historic night. That’s what we’re aiming to make it for everybody, but to have the fans with us, to have that atmosphere, it will be magical.
It’s a big thing.
Gleeson is under no illusions, though, of the task that still lies ahead of Ireland.
"It’s a very evenly matched tie," Gleeson said, "In terms of squad profile and the level that girls play at, it’s nearly identical.
"They’re a strong team. We played them in February, they beat us well, so we know they’ve got strength in depth, some really strong key players like ourselves. I think it’s going to be a very evenly matched tie."
A massive fortnight is ahead for the Ireland WNT.
Wales host Ireland in the first leg of the Euro 2025 playoffs in Cardiff on Friday, November 29. The second leg will take place in the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, December 3, with tickets available here. Both games will be live on RTÉ 2.
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