Preparing for a World Cup is a hectic enough challenge in self, but for Irish WNT defender Diane Caldwell the buildup is wedded with a “whirlwind” of monumental milestones.
The World Cup hopeful got married last weekend and joined up with the international training squad just two days ago, following the celebrations and a short holiday in Greece with her family and close friends. Even with the day of a lifetime on her mind however, the WNT were still up there to the fore of her thinking.
“It's hard to plan a wedding being a professional footballer, but I had Vera [Pauw] as a part of my plans believe it or not” Caldwell says, talking at the opening training session yesterday, which over 1,200 eager fans attended.
“One year ago, obviously we had the aim of qualifying, so we sat down and said, ‘okay, what date can I get married?’, so she was involved and we thought the 10th of June would be okay.
“So yeah, I got married last Saturday in Greece…It was very surreal coming into training, but I mean, this is a summer of a lifetime for me personally. So that's why I've got a big smile on my face.”
Converting from that “paradise” to the rigors of camp however is an easy task for the experienced center back, citing that “once you're with the team, when you're on the pitch, the focus just switches immediately.”
“You know, I don't need to think about that. I think it was just a nice break to get away before the craziness begins and then have two weeks with just with my close friends and family to switch off until a couple events because that's also needed in your life” she explains.
“You need to have a balance, especially on the back of a long season over in England.”
Reading go part time
That long season saw her club Reading relegated from the WSL, where she illustrates that they “didn't play to [their] potential”, but that “if you find yourself bottom and relegated and it's no surprise, you know, the table doesn't lie.”
After their drop to the Championship, the club also announced that they will be downgrading to a ‘part time’ standard, a decision Caldwell recognizes as a “bit of a surprise.”
“It just goes to show you, the different attitudes that there are” she explains.
“Some clubs are really behind their women's programmes and it's evident in their success and other teams are not so much and it's no surprise then that you find yourself being relegated. It's all relative.”
Fair play to the Irish players who signed so many autographs and took pictures with all the fans today 👏🏻👏🏻@IrelandFootball with so many free flags, the Coygig book and more to ensure everyone in the ground enjoyed the occasion @fitzer_andy pic.twitter.com/xBIvNbrVBi
— THE WNL SHOW (@thewnlshow) June 16, 2023
Growth in the women’s game
There have however been noticeable strides in the women’s game when it comes to international level in Ireland according to Caldwell, who was reveling in the “buzz” around the UCD Bowl on Friday and the overall hype around the Women’s World Cup.
“All the fans here, you know, everyone talking about us going on for the World Cup. Everyone definitely knows about it, the world knows, and the country knows. It's really exciting times” she says.
“If you look at the crowd here today, that was probably the amount that we would have normally got at a game. The growth of the game, the growth of this team has been really surreal.
“It’s really special to witness and still to be a part of. Deep down, I think we all knew that we could achieve this, and we just needed the support in the backing and you know, what we've achieved in the last five years has been phenomenal.”
A brilliant day was had 💚#COYGIG pic.twitter.com/fBZvxvk0B1
— FAI Women (@FAIWomen) June 16, 2023
Closing in on 100 caps with 95 appearances to her name, Caldwell insists she doesn’t think about reaching such an accolade.
“Whatever happens, happens. If I reach it, I reach it. Hopefully I will. It's definitely been something I've been aspiring towards but you can't think too much forward.
“You've got to just try to keep fit and healthy and hopefully be doing a good job when you're getting selected and you're performing at a high level… Have your of your goals for each day in training and what things you want to improve on to help the team but you can't really look at the bigger picture. I think it would get too much.
“That being said, you just have to enjoy it because this is a once in a lifetime experience. It's something that you've always dreamt of as a kid to get to a final tournament this year.”
With Zambia and France to prepare for before (squad selection permitting) she flies off to Oz for the 2023 tournament, who’s to say Caldwell won’t tick off another landmark achievement before the year is out.
