Irish centurion and Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey admits she wouldn’t like to be in manager Vera Pauw’s shoes to pick the 23 player squad that will compete at the FIFA Women’s World Cup that kicks off on July 20th.
“Dusting off the cobwebs” herself after a lengthy calf injury that ruled her out of much of the WSL season, the Galway woman discloses how she experienced the squeeze to get back fit in time for what she describes as “a great moment for the Irish women's team.”
U15 Keeper Niamh met Ireland Keeper Courtney Brosnan, Niamh Fahey and many more at the @FAIWomen open coaching session in UCD Bowl today.
Credit to all the players who spent nearly two hours warmly greeting the fans. pic.twitter.com/kVcVncJP3N— Oughterard AFC (@OughterardAFC) June 16, 2023
“Obviously with the year that's coming up everyone knows what a what a big moment this is for Irish women's football and you do feel that pressure. I was feeling it and hoping that everything will go right for me and yeah, luckily it did in the end” she told Balls.ie at the open training session last Friday.
“The team hasn't been picked yet that's going to be the final squad so everyone is trying to make their decisions and obviously the girls have to come back in as well. It’s just about keeping right, hoping that you're doing enough to be on the plane” she says.
“The competition is high like everyone's pushing really hard…and everyone's in great shape as well with no injuries as well so far here with us in this group.
“That's good for the team. It gives the coaching staff and Vera lots of headaches, so it's a good position for her to be in.”
That’s a wrap for 2022. Thank you to all our amazing supporters. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. See you all in 2023🙏🏻🔴 Up the reds @LiverpoolFCW pic.twitter.com/qi6zNxPDaz
— Niamh Fahey (@Niamh_Fahey1) December 14, 2022
Fahey has overcome a battle both mentally and physically over the season, but after getting a few minutes at Liverpool before the year wrapped up and now working away at preseason she feels “flying fit and raring to go.”
She even mentions how some of her rehab overlapped with striker, clubmate and countrywoman extraordinaire Leanne Kiernan, and how the two motivated each other to return.
“Me and Leanne were gym buddies there for a while and obviously she’s had a tough year as well...Our rehab coincided towards the end so we were able to do a bit on the pitch together as well. So I was enjoying chasing her around, up and down” Fahey smiles.
Having got the “nice boost” of a year-long extension to her contract just before entering camp, she also couldn’t be more thankful to her club for the part they played in her recovery despite an initial misdiagnosis.
“It was a calf tear...initially they thought it was only like grade one, which is like one, two, three weeks, but it ended up not healing and then we got it rescanned and it was actually more significant” she describes.
"It was an easy decision and I’m delighted to extend my contract at this fantastic club – I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else"
✍️ @Niamh_Fahey1— Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) June 13, 2023
“That obviously delayed stuff and I was probably doing stuff too early, that I shouldn’t have been doing, so it ended up being a much longer injury than when I was first diagnosed.
“Liverpool were very good you know, they knew the importance of the summer ahead for me as well and, you know, they didn't push me to any particular targets they just let me see how I want to see how my body was reacting to make sure I was doing it right.”
The closer the tournament edges towards her and the team the “more real” it all feels for Fahey, who flourishes in the “anticipation, that nervous excitement” within camp, but yet isn’t getting carried away.
“I'm just fully focused now and not trying to think about it too much. All you want to do is make sure you're focusing on your task that day, not thinking too far ahead in the future, making sure you're doing the right things in training and recovery” she says.
“It’s just really day by day and not looking too far in the future.”
